50 YEARS | REVOLUTION AND EXILE

'Yanqui' rebel William Morgan's saga in Cuban revolution is revived.

The image of the 'yanqui comandante' has faded, but ex-rebels still recall his role in a revolution that changed Cuba.

By ALFONSO CHARDY AND MICHAEL SALLAH

msallah@MiamiHerald.com

With hands resting on their guns, Ernesto ''Che'' Guevara and William Morgan -- two rebel leaders -- glared at each other from across a desolate field in the central mountains of Cuba.

For a tense moment on that fall day 50 years ago, each waited for the other to make a move -- the Cuban revolution on the brink.

They exchanged harsh words but in the end put down their weapons , agreeing to return to fighting their common enemy, the Fulgencio Batista regime.

Both would lead their own units in the final weeks of the revolution. Both captured major cities. Both played pivotal roles in the conflict.

But while Guevara has been long remembered, Morgan has been largely forgotten -- an ex-paratrooper buried in an obscure grave in Havana's largest cemetery.

Former rebels who fought with Morgan argue that he has never been recognized for his role in a revolution that changed Cuba.

''He was a soldier,'' said Enrique Encinosa, a Miami radio host who penned six books on Cuban history. ``He was tough. He was disciplined. He was able to teach people to fight who had never been taught before.''

In a crucial sweep during the last two weeks of the fighting, Morgan and his men attacked a fortress that guarded the road to Cienfuegos, forcing the soldiers inside to surrender.

The move not only allowed Morgan to capture the city, but opened the area to the guerrillas marking the beginning of the end for Batista's army, historians say.

Three years later, the yanqui comandante met his own demise after defying a revolutionary government he helped put in power.

Charged with running guns to anti-Castro rebels, Morgan was executed by a firing squad in 1961 and was buried in the massive Colón Cemetery.

Five decades later, his role in modern Cuban history is re surfacing, partly because of a rare request by relatives to have his remains returned to the United States.

For the past 18 months, Morgan's widow has been quietly negotiating with the Cuban and U.S. governments, while former rebels in Miami have been raising money to ensure he won't be forgotten.

Some of the money is expected to pay for the return of Morgan's remains -- if the request is granted, said George Castellon, who has helped raise $2,500.

''For so long, people just remembered Che Guevara,'' Castellon said. ``It was Che this and Che that. But they forgot about Morgan.''

GUN-RUNNING ROLE

Morgan was a swashbuckling figure who cut a large swath among rebels in the Escambray Mountains.

A street tough with underworld ties, his entry into Cuba began in Cold War fashion: running guns to Castro's rebels -- possibly for mobster Meyer Lansky, interviews and FBI records show.

While the guns were strictly for money, Morgan said he took on the revolutionary cause after a fellow gun smuggler was killed by Batista's forces in 1957.

No one has been able to confirm the story, but Morgan showed up in the Escambray that year to launch a series of assaults that later drove Batista's soldiers from the mountains. Sporting tattoos and speaking broken Spanish, the pudgy, sunburned Ohioan was a curiosity to the rebels in the mountains of central Cuba.

Compared to the fighters in the eastern Sierra Maestra, the guerrillas of the Escambray -- known as the Second Front -- were less experienced.

Although Morgan had a checkered military past -- he was booted from the U.S. Army for going AWOL -- he was well trained in hand-to-hand combat, according to former rebels.

''He was experienced,'' recalled commander Eloy Gutiérrez Menoyo, 74, in a phone interview from an apartment outside Havana. ``He spoke little Spanish, but we took in anyone willing to take up arms against the dictatorship.''

While Morgan had a poor U.S. Army record, ''he was in a position to teach the young [rebels],'' said Encinosa. ``You're talking about some who never knew how to fire and clean a gun. That's what Morgan brought to them.''

In one of his first encounters with the enemy, Morgan showed his experience while revealing his lack of Spanish.

Gutiérrez Menoyo ordered his men to hold their fire as an army patrol approached. The goal: to capture the soldiers for their weapons.

''I asked everyone to confirm they understood my orders, and all, including William, nodded in agreement,'' Gutiérrez Menoyo recalled.

But when the soldiers broke through the brush, Morgan opened fire, wounding several. The soldiers escaped but returned with more men, chasing the rebels deep into the mountains for several days.

Gutiérrez Menoyo ended up scolding Morgan, but it was clear the American ''possessed tremendous ability,'' said Gutiérrez Menoyo, who spent 21 years in prison after falling out of favor with Castro.

During later skirmishes with troops in Fomento, Saltillo, Padrero and La Diana, Morgan inflicted numerous casualties.

He also earned respect among his men. After one battle, he carried a wounded rebel on his back ''all the way from the scene of the battle to the mountains, where he was treated,'' according to the 1979 book Merc: American Soldiers of Fortune.

Within a short time, Morgan's troops had fought more than 15 engagements -- losing none, according to Merc.

One rebel particularly impressed by Morgan was Olga Rodríguez, who fled to the mountains after she was accused of making bombs during the resistance movement in Santa Clara.

She watched as he was put in charge of five men, then a larger column, and finally promoted to comandante, the equivalent of major.

As he lost more men in fighting, Morgan became more committed to the revolutionary cause, Rodríguez said. ''I could see that he felt for my people,'' said Rodríguez, who married him in late 1958. She is now Olga Morgan Goodwin.

A turning point for the rebels was in November 1958 when they received a letter from Guevara saying the 26th of July Movement -- Castro's force -- was going to take over the Second Front.

Angered by the note, the Escambray rebels were determined to run their own unit, recalled Osiel González.

Now living in Miami, González said he was livid over the way the letter was signed, simply, ``Che.''

'It was as if we had sent a letter signed `Chico,' '' González said. ``It denoted a lack of respect.''

When more than 100 men from Castro's front arrived in November, Morgan and his rebels surrounded them and stripped them of their weapons, according to interviews and published accounts.

Soon afterward, Guevara showed up, angry. ''He was humiliated by the disarming of his men by the Morgan-trained guerrillas,'' wrote authors Brown and Mallin.

For a moment, the two rebel leaders -- Morgan and Guevara -- refused to back down. González said he later learned that Morgan challenged Guevara to draw . ''One of Morgan's most important roles was his part in defining our stand,'' González said.

No one fired, and eventually, the men put their guns down. With the revolution at stake, the two sides agreed to put their differences aside and coordinate their efforts.

A FINAL ASSAULT

In the ensuing weeks, the dual forces unleashed their own attacks through the province -- the heart of Cuba -- in a final assault on Batista's soldiers.

On Dec. 22, 1958, Morgan's column stormed a fortified area guarding the city of Cienfuegos, firing on the building until the soldiers inside gave up.

Nine days later, Guevara and his men -- after a brutal spate of battles -- took the provincial capital of Santa Clara, causing Batista to panic and flee Havana.

While the rebel factions gathered in Havana to celebrate, Morgan and Guevara never reconciled, say those who knew them. ''Che hated Morgan,'' Castellon recalled.

In fact, they squared off once more when Guevara insisted that leaders of the Second Front give up their command. ''It got real ugly,'' Gutiérrez Menoyo recalled in a 2002 interview. ``We had our hands on our guns.''

Morgan was allowed to keep his rank in the revolutionary army, but neither Morgan nor Gutiérrez Menoyo was given a prominent post in the new government.

Angry over Castro's relentless turn to communism, Morgan broke with the regime and began to ru n guns to a new rebel front in the Escambray -- acts that led to his arrest.

Tried and convicted before a military court, he was led to a firing squad on March 11, 1961. He was 32.

Since then, Morgan's image has been eclipsed by larger Cold War events. But to those who fought with him in the Escambray, he remains an intriguing figure in the revolution.

''He was a tough guy who struggled most of his life,'' Encinosa said.

"He got in trouble with the army and the law. But he goes to Cuba and he finds a cause. He finds something to believe in, and then he dies for it. In his death, he becomes somebody he had never been before .''

Miami Herald Americas / Posted on Sunday 01/04/09

January 01, 2009

Cuban Stalinism at 50--and the Media Lies Continue

By Humberto Fontova
Published by American Thinker

Cuban mothers let me assure you that I will solve all Cuba's problems without spilling a drop of blood." Upon entering Havana on January 7, 1959, Cuba's new leader Fidel Castro broadcast that promise into a phalanx of microphones. As the jubilant crowd erupted with joy, Castro continued. “Cuban mothers let me assure you that because of me you will never have to cry."

The following day, just below San Juan Hill in eastern Cuba, a bulldozer rumbled to a start, clanked into position, and started pushing dirt into a huge pit with blood pooling at the bottom from the still-twitching bodies of more than a hundred men and boys who'd been machine-gunned without trial on the Castro brothers' orders. Their wives and mothers wept hysterically from a nearby road.

On that very day, the U.K. Observer ran the following headline: "Mr Castro's bearded, youthful figure has become a symbol of Latin America's rejection of brutality and lying. Every sign is that he will reject personal rule and violence."

These two events perfectly symbolize the Castro/Cuba phenomenon, even half a century later. The Castro regime oppresses and kills while issuing a smokescreen of lies not merely devious but downright psychopathic. The worldwide media abandons all pretense as "investigators" or "watchdogs" and adopts a role, not merely as sycophants, but as advertising agency. As Cuba's Stalinist nomenclature celebrates fifty years of repression and high living this week --from Time magazine to USA Today, and from the BBC to Der Spiegel to the very U.K. Observer (now the Guardian) -- the usual idiocies on Cuba are spouting forth their usual sources, but in much greater profusion.

If what we constantly heard and read about Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution in the mainstream media and college textbooks was merely in error it might be less obnoxious. Instead the media/academia clichés usually upend the truth. We get the precise opposite of the truth. Ignorance (usually willful) of conditions in pre-Castro Cuba, of Fidel Castro's background, of U.S.-Cuba relations pre-1960 all contribute to the cliché-ridden Castro legend. With the media wallowing in a Castro-cliché orgy on this hideous anniversary let's examine them one at a time, in no particular order of importance.

Cliché no. 1: A plucky Castro succeeded in defying a relentlessly hostile U.S. that worked ceaselessly to topple him.

The Facts: “We ended up getting exactly what we'd wanted all along," wrote Nikita Khrushchev about the Missile Crisis Resolution.

"Security for Fidel Castro's regime and American missiles removed from Turkey. Until today the U.S. has complied with her promise not to interfere with Castro and not to allow anyone else to interfere with Castro. After Kennedy's death, his successor Lyndon Johnson assured us that he would keep the promise not to invade Cuba."

Henry Kissinger, as Gerald Ford's secretary of state, renewed the pledge. After the Missile Crisis "resolution," Castro's "defiance" of the U.S. took the form of the U.S. Coast Guard and even the British Navy (when some intrepid exile freedom fighters moved their operation to the Bahamas) shielding him from exile attacks. Far from "defying" a superpower, Castro hid behind the skirts of two superpowers, plus the British Empire.

Cliché no. 2 : Pre-Castro Cuba was a veritable U.S. colony, greedily exploited by U.S. corporations and by her most notorious gangsters who maintained the hapless island as a sordid casino and bordello teeming with wretchedly poor and desperate natives. Castro rectified this shameful condition.

The Facts: In 1958, only 7 percent of invested capital in Cuba was American, and less than one-third of Cuba’s sugar output (its main crop) was by U.S. companies. Cuba had a grand total of six gambling Casino's at the time. (Gulfport/Biloxi Mississippi has double that number today.) Cuba's Gross Domestic product in 1957 was $2.7 billion. Cuba's foreign receipts in 1957 were about $750 million--of which tourism made up only $60 million. Gambling was a small fraction of this $60 million. Exactly two Havana hotels were mob-owned (compare this to Las Vegas history.)

In 1958, Cuba had approximately 10,000 prostitutes. Today an estimated 150,000 ply their trade on the desperate island, many as young as 14.

And to cap it all off: in 1950 more Cubans (out of a population of six million) vacationed in the U.S., than Americans (out of 200 million) vacationed in Cuba. At that time, Cubans didn't come to the U.S. in any great numbers to settle. In fact as a percentage of population, Cuba took in more immigrants (primarily from Europe) in the early 20th century than did the U.S. In the 1950's, when Cubans were perfectly free to emigrate with all their property and U.S. visas were issued to them for the asking, fewer Cubans lived in the U.S. than Americans lived in Cuba.

A report from the Geneva-based International Labor Organization that documented the following in 1957: "One feature of the Cuban social structure is a large middle class," it starts. "Cuban workers are more unionized (proportional to the population) than U.S. workers. The average wage for an 8 hour day in Cuba in 1957 is higher than for workers in Belgium, Denmark, France and Germany. Cuban labor receives 66.6 per cent of gross national income. In the U.S. the figure is 70 per cent, in Switzerland 64 per cent. 44 per cent of Cubans are covered by Social legislation, a higher percentage than in the U.S."

Cliché no. 3: Okay, so Cubans can't vote-- but they have free and exquisite healthcare. No one can deny this achievement by Castro's regime.

The Facts: An infant mortality rate that plummeted from 13th lowest in the world in 1958 (lower than in Germany, France, Japan, Israel among many other first world nations) during the unspeakable Batista era to 40th today, that finds most of the nations behind it in 1958 now ahead of it – this rate qualifies as an "achievement" in the lexicon of news agencies that have earned a Havana bureau.

This current infant-mortality rate, by the way, is also kept artificially low by an abortion rate of 0.71, the Hemisphere's (and hovering among the world's top five for the past two decades) highest, which "terminates" any pregnancy that even hints at trouble. Cuba's suicide rate is also currently the Hemisphere's highest, triple its rate during the unspeakable Batista era.

In the 1950's this writer's parents paid $3.50 a month to a private-sector HMO for full health care coverage for their entire family.

For Cuba's indigent (or those who preferred buying a couple bottles of Rum or lottery tickets with their $3.50) the unspeakable Batista regime maintained the Calixto García, Reina Mercedes, Emergencias, Hospital de Maternidad, and El Infantil hospitals – all providing what socialists term free health care, in the manner of New Orleans Charity Hospital.

Cliché no 4: Fidel Castro overthrew the "U.S. backed" Batista whose patrons and puppeteers went instantly ballistic at his ousting.

The Facts: Former U.S. Ambassador to Cuba, Earl T. Smith, during Congressional testimony in 1960, declared flatly: "We put Castro in power." He referred to the U.S. State Department and CIA's role in aiding, both morally and materially, the Castro rebels, to their pulling the rug out from under Batista with an arms embargo, and finally to the U.S. order that Batista vacate Cuba. Ambassador Smith knew something about these events because he personally delivered the messages to Batista, who was then denied exile in the U.S.

"Me and my staff were all Fidelistas," boasted Robert Reynolds, the CIA's "Caribbean Desk's specialist on the Cuban Revolution" from 1957-1960. "Everyone in the CIA and everyone at State were pro-Castro, except ambassador Earl Smith." This statement is from former CIA operative in Santiago Cuba, Robert Weicha. The U.S. gave Castro's regime its official benediction more rapidly than it had recognized Batista's in 1952, and lavished it with $200 million in subsidies.

In August 1959, the liberal U.S. ambassador to Cuba, Philip Bonsal, even alerted Castro to a conspiracy against his regime by anti-communist Cubans. Thanks in part to Ambassador Bonsal's solicitude for a regime then insulting his nation as "a vulture preying on humanity!" and poised to steal $2 billion from U.S. stockholders, the anti-Castro plot was foiled, hundreds of the plotters imprisoned or executed, and the regime that three years later came closest to vaporizing many of America's biggest cities (including Bonsal's home) with nuclear missiles, survived.

In 1958, at the very time the U.S. State Dept. and CIA were helping his movement, Castro had written in confidence to a colleague, "War with the U.S. is my true destiny." Castro had sent armed guerrillas to attempt the violent overthrow of four sovereign Latin American countries, stole $2 billion from American businessmen at Czech machine-gun point, invited in thousands of Soviet military and police agents, kidnapped 50 U.S. citizens from Guantanamo Bay, and jailed and executed several Americans before we lifted a finger against him.

In fact, during this period the State Dept. made over 10 back channel diplomatic attempts to ascertain the cause of Castro's tantrums. Argentine President Arturo Frondizi was the conduit for many of these and recounts their utter futility in his memoirs. At long last the U.S. started contingency planning for what came to be known as the Bay of Pigs invasion, and imposed the so-called embargo, about which more next week.

Humberto Fontova is the author of four books including Exposing the Real Che Guevara. Visit hfontova.com. Thank you to Francisco Diaz for this contribution to our website. MLT

Cuban poet`s words penetrate stone walls

By Cassandra Baptista

His voice could not be silenced by stone walls or trapped behind cell bars. He was imprisoned for 22 years for standing by his convictions, and though isolated, he was left with his poetry—words that would set him free. Ernesto Diaz-Rodriguez, poet and former political prisoner of Fidel Castro, spoke at the Americo S. Ventura Library at the Portuguese Cultural Center on June 25 to an audience anxious to hear selections from his latest work, Piedra por Piedra: Stone for Stone—his sixth book published out of nine written in prison.
His voice could not be silenced by stone walls or trapped behind cell bars. He was imprisoned for 22 years for standing by his convictions, and though isolated, he was left with his poetry—words that would set him free.

Ernesto Diaz-Rodriguez, poet and former political prisoner of Fidel Castro, spoke at the Americo S. Ventura Library at the Portuguese Cultural Center on June 25 to an audience anxious to hear selections from his latest work, Piedra por Piedra: Stone for Stone—his sixth book published out of nine written in prison.
In 1968, Diaz-Rodriguez was arrested and eventually sentenced to 40 years in prison after he confronted Cuba’s Communist dictatorship. He was released from prison in 1991, after serving 22 years and was exiled from Cuba. He now lives in Ridgefield, CT and is Secretary General of the Cuban freedom fighters’ organization, Alpha 66, and Vice-President of the New Cuba Coalition. Attorney, Americo Ventura, who runs the library at the Portuguese Cultural Center, met the poet three years ago and organized the event. “Ernesto defends his principles with dignity and firmness, and he doesn’t care what it is going to cost him,” Ventura said.
Emilio Adolfo Rivero, journalist, attorney, and President of the New Coalition for Cuba, was also imprisoned by Castro for plotting against the regime and met Diaz-Rodriguez while serving his eighteen-and-a-half years.
With his voice shaking and his cheeks flushed, Rivero spoke about his friend, as each word weighed heavily on the silent audience. “Women are always good at showing their feelings,” Rivero said. “This book allows you to see the feelings of a man.”
As speakers introduced the poet, two thin pieces of paper covered in tiny, neat handwriting were passed through the audience. Not a single space was left unused. They were a few of Diaz-Rodriguez’s poems that were sneaked out of the prison through an elaborate network of friends – even as he remained in prison, his poetry escaped his cell. Diaz-Rodriguez explained he always enjoyed writing, but his passion for poetry grew while in prison. “I write for the necessity of my soul,” he said. “I write to transmit an expression of love and hope.” Diaz-Rodriguez’s wife, Dr. Alicia Perez sat in the front-row listening to love poems written about her. “I knew I wanted to marry Ernesto when I was 18 years old,” Perez said.
But they would have to go through two separate marriages and divorces, thousands of miles apart, and his 22 years of imprisonment before they could be together. Despite the couple’s distance, the poet explained that through his poetry, “Alicia lived in my memories and in my heart.”
For Francisco Pandolfi, a Danbury resident and audience member, Diaz-Rodriguez’s story of suffering and resilience had significance because he too, was born close to Havana, Cuba. “What I heard tonight was excellent,” Pandolfi said as he waited for Diaz-Rodriguez to sign his copy of Piedra por Piedra: Stone for Stone in a line of people running the full length of the room. Even though he spent nearly a quarter century incarcerated, Diaz-Rodriguez does not feel his time was wasted. “The 22 years in prison were a privilege for me in my life,” he said. “Not a year was lost. It was like college for me; I had a lot of rich experiences. The time that I was in prison might be the best time of my life because I was fighting for democracy and the welfare of my country.”

This article was published by Tribune Newspaper LLC- Connecticut (BUILDING BRIDGES - JOINING CULTURES)

October 2007

With great respect and sympathy, Alpha 66 would like to share this interesting article, written by one of America's most renowned journalists:

Fidel Castro has yet to face justice
by BONNIE ANDERSON

It is deeply wrenching to witness a week of lavish celebrations honoring Fidel Castro's birth when most likely every day, somewhere in the world, anguished families quietly mourn the death of a loved one at the hands of this heartless, evil man. That Fidel, himself, may be dying is not much comfort to me. I believe in justice and while he will be judged by God when he dies, he has yet to be judged on Earth for his crimes against humanity.

My father, Howard F. Anderson, was only one of 20,000 people tortured and executed by Fidel Castro. Before my Dad's execution by firing squad, he had most of his blood drained from his body to be used for transfusions for the revolutionary troops. Other political prisoners who watched the execution from their cells told me years later that my father refused a blindfold. And he whistled as the bullets tore into his body. One of the few memories I have, since I was only 5 years old at the time, was that my Dad whistled when he was angry. With the ''ready, aim, fire'' order, I, too, was wounded forever more. This ruthless dictator robbed me of a lifetime with my father, a lifetime of fatherly advice, a lifetime of memories.

So no, I don't want to see him die this way, of natural causes, or at this time. I have always hoped the world would recognize him for what he is and that Fidel Castro would be judged, convicted and sentenced for his crimes against humanity in an international court of law. A death from old age is far, far too lenient a punishment for a man who has killed so many people, destroyed the lives of literally millions.

As a journalist, I refrain from generalities. But I do believe there are few Cubans on the island and even fewer Cuban exiles who have not had a family member either executed or imprisoned by this megalomaniac. What I fail to understand is why there seems to be little national compassion for the pain that Cuban exiles have experienced. Americans show compassion for cancer survivors, for DUI and rape victims, for people suffering from depression, physical and mental abuse. We show compassion for famine victims in Africa; as an NBC news correspondent, I broke stories about genocide in Ethiopia, and the world -- but especially the United States -- responded with millions of dollars of money, but most important, with compassion. Organizations have sprung up to defend and champion the victims of all these issues, and rightly so. There is public acceptance that these people have suffered and have been wronged.
It is morally right. So why, I ask, are Cuban exiles not afforded the same support and compassion?

I was a CNN network executive when the Elián González issue was a major story. I was horrified by the coverage by my network and all others. It pained me deeply to see sound-bites by people who said about the Cuban-Americans in this country, ''Why don't they just get over it? It happened so long ago.'' I spoke up to my superiors at CNN. And I'm no longer there. What I told them was this: Would anyone dare tell a Holocaust survivor, or the sons, daughters and grandchildren of the Holocaust to ''just forget about it'' because it happened so long ago?
Of course not. Castro did not kill as many as Hitler did, and I would never diminish the horror and huge dimensions of the Holocaust, but Castro was -- and is -- our Hitler in Latin America.

BORN IN CUBA

Despite my Anglo name, I was born in Cuba. My mother was born there. Her parents are buried there. My father was buried there until Castro was so ticked off by an article I wrote in 1978 as a Miami Herald reporter that he had my father's remains dug up and thrown out. I am most proud of being Cuban American. And I want the rest of the world to understand our pain. It is part of our daily lives, no matt er where we live. It is the ache of losing a country, but it is more than that, too. It is a loss we feel in our blood and in our bones. It is also clearly an emotional demise in many ways -- a void in our pasts which continues to the present and will continue through the future. You can't make up for years of lost family experiences -- normal, human experiences that most other people enjoy. These are memories that have been stolen for all time. For myself, I have only two memories of my father and what saddens me is that I can't be absolutely certain that they truly are recollections or whether I've simply grasped onto scenes from the few home movies we managed to smuggle out of Cuba and morphed them into memories. When I think of this, it provokes a deep, dark cutting sadness in me.

Cuban exiles can't expect others who have not experienced what we have to actually know our pain and understand our passion for wanting to address the wrongs done us. Rape victims can't expect that. Neither can the parents of children who have been killed by drunk drivers, or family members who have lost loved ones in the current Iraq conflict. Or family members of the victims of Columbine, or 9/11. The people who survived the genocide in Ethiopia and in so many other places can't expect anyone to truly know their pain. Our pain is part of our spirit. The most we can hope for is compassion. The day that Castro's illness was first reported, I woke up very early and was watching CBS. On their early morning shows, they repeatedly said that ''Castro is considered a ruthless dictator by some in Miami.''

I fired off an e-mail to CBS President Sean McManus. What I wrote, in short, was this: If a man who murdered 20,000 people, imprisoned for decades hundreds of thousands of others, caused countless hundreds of thousands to flee the country (many losing their lives in desperate attempts to reach freedom on flimsy rafts) and has repressed a nation for nearly five decades - - denying them the most basic of human rights
-- is not considered a ruthless dictator by all, who the hell is? I haven't heard back from him. I don't expect I will. In fact, I suspect he, and other network executives, will continue to cozy up to the Cuban government (whoever leads it) in order to make sure that when Castro dies, their networks have access to the coverage. That's the way it is in the corporate news world. But I have faith in my fellow American citizens. And I know, in my heart and spirit, that when the truth is known, those of us who have suffered at the hands of Fidel Castro will finally receive the compassion we are due.

IN MOURNING

While Fidel is celebrating a birthday, my brothers, sister and I are mourning the death not only of our father but also of our mother, Dorothy Stauber Anderson McCarthy, who died less than two months ago.
She was 39 years old when Fidel made her a widow. She struggled to raise us and give us a new life, and she was most successful. But her greatest triumph was to instill a sense of right and honor in us, to teach us strength and morality. A month after her death, a New York judge ruled that we should receive millions of dollars of the frozen Cuban assets held in this country because of Fidel Castro's murder of my father. It is a very welcome decision but very bittersweet. Fidel Castro is alive and he knows he has been tried, convicted and sentenced to pay for his heinous act. But the fact that my mother isn't alive to see this final measure of justice is a soul-deep wound that I will live with for the rest of my life. I weep for her. I weep for us, and I weep for all who have been the victims of Fidel Castro. Happy Birthday? Please.

Bonnie M. Anderson is a 27-year veteran of print, radio, Internet and television journalism in English and in Spanish. She has worked on camera for local, national and international news organizations, including two decades with NBC News and CNN. Anderson won seven Emmy Awards, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and has been nominated for the María Coors Cabot Lifetime Achievement Award, which is sponsored by Columbia University. Capt. Anderson is now following a family tradition and is running a charter fishing operation out of Culebra, Puerto Rico.

July 4, 2007

Food For Thought on this Fourth of July .

Dear Friends:

Here we are commemorating another Fourth of July. The United States of America, the bastion of world democracy, takes time every year to render tribute to celebrate its unmatched independence and the men and women that have given the ultimate sacrifice to maintain the freedom and rights we all dearly cherish.

On this, the ultimate date of remembrance of what it means to be free, we in the Cuban American community, a community that has become an integral part of the American tapestry, stand and salute the nation that has given us shelter and succor in our long denied quest for freedom.

The United States of America, my country of birth which I cherish and would stand ready to defend, has for years held an embargo against the country of my ancestors and the land which I too consider to be home...Cuba. This embargo has helped keep the Castrist government, a dictatorship of the most vile nature, from proliferating throughout this hemisphere at a greater rate than if we had no embargo at all. But is it enough?

There are some that look towards the U.S. as the means for the liberation of our island nation, but in reality many of us in the Cuban American community know that the freedom of our country falls to us to achieve. Yet we are shackled by an agreement between this country and the now defunct Soviet Union. An agreement signed by the Kennedy Administration that obligates them to intercede in the fight for the liberation of the very nation they enforce an embargo against.

Our freedom fighters are intercepted, our anti-castrist organizations are foiled at every turn in their fight for the freedom of our native soil. We are constantly subject to arrests and interdiction for simply wanting to, in our way, give the people of the island nation, that lies a mere 90 miles away, the same rights and freedoms they, the U.S. themselves, enjoy.

Why does the United States still enforce an agreement with a nation that no longer exists? Why are our brave and selfless fighters, that very well resemble those that we honor on this day, treated like criminals for wanting to do the exact same thing that today's honorees have done.... fight for the freedom of their country?

Many liberals in Congress want to re-evaluate this country's commitment to the embargo. They would like an end to, what they consider, an outdated notion. I submit that they should be considering ending an outdated treaty with a non-existent country that has tied the hands of the Cuban American community for the past 4 decades.

Call and write your legislators and representatives and ask them to do away with a treaty that keeps the Castrist dictatorship, a dictatorship dedicated to the downfall of this very country, in power. Lets put an end to a treaty signed with a country that fell over a decade ago, yet continues to dictate U.S. foreign policy. We are not asking for American lives to be put on the line. We are not asking for money to fund our freedom. We are not asking for Uncle Sam to intercede in what are clearly Cuban national affairs.

What we are seeking is the freedom to fight for the liberty of our brothers on the island. What we are asking is for the same opportunity that the founding fathers of this nation had to seek their freedom from their English overlords. What we are asking is to allow the Cubans that are on U.S. soil to participate in shaping the future of their own country.

Food for Thought on this Fourth of July .

Jose "Alex" Ybarra

May 2007

It is interesting to note how on certain occasions the descendents of tyrants and their accomplices have not had the stomach to keep silent in the face of so many crimes. That is what happened in the Soviet Union under Stalin and some of his close collaborators. We are seeing this happening now in Cuba in the case of Castro and Che Guevara. Following is a declaration that can now be found throughout the Internet by the grandson of Che Guevara and published in the weekly, “Proceso” in Mexico City. Che’s grandson states in this declaration that the Cuban revolution is a “vulgar and vile state capitalism”.

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Mexico—The Cuban revolution “was not and never has been democratic”. It’s never been Communist, now or before, instead it is a “vulgar and vile state capitalism called Fidelismo” said the grandson of the guerrilla Ernesto “Che” Guevara, Canek Sánchez Guevara.

In an article published today in the weekly newspaper, “Proceso” in Mexico City, Canek strongly criticizes the “messianism” of Fidel Castro and his loss of direction in the revolution that made him go from “the young revolutionary to the old tyrant” that “falsified” a noble ideal.

The grandson of Che Guevara points out that, “The revolution gave birth to a corrupt bourgeoisie, to a repressive apparatus willing to defend it against the people, and to a bureaucracy increasingly alienated from the people. But above all, it was undemocratic due to the almost religious messianism of its leader”.

In his writing, Canek lays bare one by one the reasons that have distanced the revolution from its initial noble purpose. These include the “criminalizing of the different” which led to the “persecution of homosexuals, hippies, free thinkers, union activists and poets” and the creation of a socialist “bourgeoisie” pretending to be proletarian.

He continues that, “The revolution died years ago. It was killed by those that used it to save themselves from it. It had to be institutionalized and smothered by its own bureaucracy, by the corruption, by the nepotism, and by the verticalness of the often mentioned—Revolutionary State”.

In addition, he left no doubt in calling the government of Castro a dictatorship and accused its leader of betraying the initial ideals of the revolution.

He continues, “In fact Fidel freed Cuba from the gangster dictatorship of Batista but because of his obstinate desire to stay in power succeeded in becoming himself another dictator”.

“All my criticism of Fidel Castro begins with his departure from the ideals of freedom, the betrayal against the Cuban people and the horrendous vigilance that was established to preserve the state against its people”.

The eldest grandson of Che Guevara says that the repression under which the island is today, the “perpetual vigilance over individuals” and “the prohibition of associations independent of the state” is nothing more than “a vulgar capitalism of the state” that will die when Fidel dies.

He further states that, “Let’s be honest. A young rebel in today’s Cuba similar to what Fidel was in the past, would be immediately shot and not sent into exile” like Fidel was.

Sánchez Guevara closes by saying that Marxism in Cuba is “only a scholarly assignment” and that it’s in the ideas of Marx where “one can see in total the deafening failure of an ideal completely falsified”.

(The eldest grandson of Che Guevara was born in Cuba, is thirty years old and a citizen of Mexico. Today he lives in Oaxaca and works as a graphics designer. His mother is Hilda Guevara the oldest of Che Guevara’s children).

Posted on Thu, Mar. 01, 2007

Bush mourns late Cuban revolutionary

The Associated Press

President Bush on Thursday mourned the recent death of Mario Chanes de Armas, who was at Fidel Castro's side in the Cuban revolution and later spent decades as a political prisoner in the leader's jails.

"Cuban patriot Mario Chanes de Armas was a political prisoner of the Castro regime for 30 years, one of the longest sentences of any political prisoner in the world," Bush said in a statement. "Like so many Cubans, he sought a democratic Cuban society only to see his quest betrayed by a Castro dictatorship."

Chanes de Armas, who died at age 80 on Saturday at Miami's Hialeah Hospital, was sentenced with Castro and others to 15 years by the Batista dictatorship, though they were granted amnesty and released 20 months later.

Soon after, they organized the insurrection which brought them to power in 1959. But Chanes de Armas joined the opposition to the new regime when he became convinced that Castro was betraying the democratic promises he had made. On July 17, 1962, Chanes de Armas was sentenced to prison.

Eventually, he and four other prisoners were released with the efforts of several human rights organizations and his family, who had met with President George H.W. Bush. In 1993, he traveled to Washington, where he was received by President Clinton.

"Mario Chanes was one of the original plantados, Cuban political prisoners who were unyielding in their fervent desire for a free Cuba," Bush said. "His patriotism and strong sense of purpose are examples to all freedom-loving people. Laura joins me in sending our thoughts and prayers to his family and friends."

This article by Oscar Talleda was published in the Daily Breeze, Torrance, CA, on January 5, 2007.

Harman's stance on Cuba misguided

A weekend in Havana has persuaded South Bay Rep. Jane Harman that it's time to change U.S. policy toward Cuba (Insight page, Dec. 27). What she was not briefed on during her visit was the brutal history of the other Castro brother, Raul, who is now apparently head of the country.

Like his brother now on his death bed, and like other tyrants such as the just executed Saddam Hussein, Raul Castro has the blood of thousands of his countrymen on his hands. Is it fair to ask the Cuban people, after 48 years of communist repression, to change a policy that will not guarantee them freedom and democracy? I think not.

Rather than meeting with government officials, many of whom are merely figuring out a way to save their own skin once the people of Cuba are free, Harman should have met with ordinary Cubans. These Cubans risk their lives daily for speaking out against the government.

More importantly, she should have met with the ones currently in Castro’s prisons, like Dr. Elias Biscet, who is in jail for the simple sin of being a Christian and opposing the Castro government. Or perhaps Harman should meet with the many Cuban-Americans right here in her own South Bay district. She will hear a very different story.

U.S. policy should continue to require, as a prerequisite for change, freedom and democracy for the Cuban people. Nothing short of this is morally acceptable.

OSCAR TALLEDA
Torrance

December 2006

WAKE UP AMERICA
By: Miguel L. Talleda

Without a doubt, history repeats itself. Hovering over our land, we are seeing spirits that not understand historical processes. The United States as well as the free world it has always championed, finds itself, as in prior times, at a crossroads. The path it chooses can either lead to total disaster or it can lead to a further consolidation of the principles of liberty with which God illuminated the founders of this great nation.

It’s the year 1938 and a swaggering madman from Nazi Germany named Adolph Hitler threatened to conquer the world so it could be ruled by a superior race. In an effort to curb these stupid ambitions, Chancellor Neville Chamberlain of Great Britain offered Hitler part of Czechoslovakia. But as often happens when these madmen sense weakness, their appetite and ambitions grow and soon Hitler invaded Poland and everything changed. Winston Churchill came to power in England and was soon involved in a horrible war that cost millions of lives, yet a war that no one doubted was necessary to save the free world.

Be careful! We find ourselves in a similar situation today. The free world is facing a fanatical Muslim minority without unparalleled in it’s brutality as witnessed by the terrorists attacks of the last few years and culminating with the attack on the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and later in Spain and England.

President George W. Bush responded to such infamy by cleansing Afghanistan of the presence of Bin Laden, the chief of these terrorist attacks, and Iraq of the criminal monster that was Sadam Hussein. These two victories that liberated over fifty million human beings from slavery have not been well accepted by the neighboring countries of Iran and Syria. These two continue to be allied with terrorism and are trying their most to destabilize the newly created government of Iraq which is yet unable to defend itself without the help of the United States. The destabilizing actions of Iran and Syria have given rise to a civil war between factions of Shiites and Sunnis in Iraq.

In view of this current situation, some people think that the victorious troops from the United States, England, and the other allies that represent the free world should be withdrawn and the country of Iraq handed over to the terrorists represented by Iran.

The spirit of Chamberlain is hovering in Washington today! But be careful. There is a need to know the thinking of these terrorists who can be found in every corner of the world today and who are backed by the Iranian government. They are not hiding their maquiavelian intentions of domination.

The President of Iran has been very candid. He hopes to see the disappearance of the State of Israel and see the White House engulfed in flames. And this is nothing new. We should recall that some years ago they applauded enthusiastically the declaration of Fidel Castro in Teheran when Castro vowed that, “he and Iran would bring the Americans to their knees”.

The great General Douglas McArthur, in addition to his great victorious performance commanding the American troops in the Pacific during World War II, taught us a great lesson when he said, “There is no substitute for victory.”

Thanks to the Wall Street Journal for bringing to the attention of the American people in this impressive article the kind of enemy we have, as shown by the idiotic tirade of Hugo Chavez at the United Nations Assembly. Hate produced by envy have been blowing against the United States from Latin America, specially from Cuba and Venezuela, for a long time and very few were aware of the danger we are in unless we made the decision to recognize our enemies and decide to fight back……….ALPHA 66

Chavez Inferno

By Alvaro Vargas Llosa
September 25, 2006; Page A14

It would have been more appropriate for Hugo Chávez to brandish Dante's "Divine Comedy" than Chomsky's "Hegemony or Survival" during his sulfuric broadside at the U.N. last week. In the first part of the Italian masterpiece, the author undertakes a journey through the nine concentric circles of the Inferno, each representing a type of evil. Dante's description reads like a script of present-day Venezuela.

Dante's first circle is for those who lack faith. In Chávez's Inferno, the first circle is made up of those who lack food. Cendas, a research center, maintains that 80% of Venezuelans cannot meet the cost of a basic daily diet. According to an official statistic the government inadvertently made public on the Web site of the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, between 1999, the year in which Chávez took office, and 2004, poverty rose to 53% from 43% of the population. The authorities attributed the figures to an outdated methodology and now claim the rate of poverty is 42%. If it were true, that would be embarrassing enough, because it would mean that poverty has remained at nearly the same level for eight years.

Dante's second circle is for those unable to control lust. Chávez's second circle is for those unable to control homicidal instincts. His government has degraded social coexistence so much that there have been more homicides in Venezuela during his seven-and-a-half years in office than there have been deaths in any single armed conflict around the world in recent years. Between 2001 and 2006, the number of homicides in Venezuela has been three times the number of victims in Afghanistan.

Dante's third circle is for gluttons who leave us with no food. Chávez's third is reserved for corrupt authorities who leave Venezuelans with no wealth. The major sources of corruption have been Plan Bolívar 2000, the state-owned oil company, and social programs known as "missions." Under Plan Bolívar 2000, the army took over development programs from the local governments. In the case of PDVSA, the energy giant, no one but Chávez and his cronies have access to detailed financial records. The budget for social programs, personally controlled by Chávez, is not included in any government ministry.

Dante's fourth circle is for misers. In Chávez's Inferno, the fourth circle is made up of bureaucrats who claim to provide social services but use funds to pay people to attend rallies or bust up opposition gatherings. Marino González, from Universidad Simón Bolívar, says that the "Barrio Adentro" program that purports to tend to all the pregnant women in the country only serves 2,000 expectant mothers out of a total of half a million each year. No country ever became prosperous through socialism, but for a government that claims to be able to tend to the needy, not being able to meet even 1% of the commitment is a particularly hellish sin.

Dante's fifth circle is for those who succumb to wrath. Chávez's fifth is for political persecution. Venezuela's human rights record is atrocious. Two violent incidents involving Chavista henchmen with many fatalities have gone unpunished, including the killing in April 2002 of 12 people who were protesting near the government palace. There are political prisoners such as Francisco Usón, former minister of finance in Chávez's government, who received a six-year sentence for saying he thought an incident in which a few soldiers died at Fort Mara in 2004 was no accident. Henrique Capriles, the mayor of Baruta, was jailed in 2004, accused of organizing a violent protest against the Cuban embassy which he had actually helped diffuse.

Dante's sixth circle is for heretics. Chávez's sixth circle is for heretic journalists who try to tell the truth. In December 2004, a "gag law" was imposed making it easy to prosecute journalists. The president continually threatens to withdraw TV and radio licenses -- the reason why there are no opinion programs on network TV. Government-controlled mobs called Bolivarian Circles, formed with the help of the Cuban intelligence apparatus, harass journalists.

Dante's seventh circle is for the violent. Chávez's seventh circle is another name for imperialism. His government has bought (or is buying) 100,000 AK-47s, 53 Mi-35 assault helicopters, fighter jets, transport planes, patrol boats, speedboats and Tucano jets from Russia, Spain and Brazil. Chávez is a long-time supporter of FARC, Colombia's terrorist group. He granted Venezuelan citizenship and protection to Rodrigo Granda, its "foreign minister," until Alvaro Uribe's government hired bounty hunters to bring him back to Colombia in 2005. The Venezuelan leader has given financial and political support to movements from Mexico to Bolivia. (His support for Ollanta Humala in Peru and Andrés Manuel López Obrador in Mexico was a major factor in both men's recent defeats.)

Chávez buys influence through oil. It is a form of blackmail: At OPEC, Chávez fights for increasing prices, making life hard for poor countries that import oil, and then offers those very nations oil subsidies they have no choice but to accept. That is what happened with the 14 Caribbean countries that make up the Caricom group. He also sends 100,000 barrels of oil to Cuba daily; and 200,000 barrels to Bolivia every month in exchange for soy, poultry and political subservience. And he has bought $3 billion worth of Argentine bonds to entice President Kirchner's loyalty. Chávez is denying his nation its wealth from oil, somewhere between $40 billion and $50 billion a year. His annual "aid" budget totals more than $2 billion. He sponsors 30 countries, including some in Africa, in order to buy their vote for a seat at the U.N. Security Council.

Dante's eighth circle is for those who commit fraud. Chávez's eighth is fraudulent anti-Americanism. Chávez exports 1.5 million barrels of oil a day to the U.S. Since oil makes up half the government's revenue and the U.S. is the principal destination of Venezuelan oil, he pays daily homage to U.S. capitalism. Moreover, Venezuela imported $18 billion worth of goods and services from the U.S. in 2005. He may have signed 20 trade deals with Iran's Ahmadinejad, but what he really lusts for is U.S. capitalism. (Another type of fraud involves the electoral system. Chávez has manipulated the voter registration rolls, adding two million phantom voters, including 30,000 who are 100 years old and citizens named "Superman." Four out of five members in the Electoral Council are Chávez lackeys.)

Dante's final circle is for traitors. Chávez's ninth is for traitors, too -- and the place is getting crowded. Army officers betray Chávez every day. Labor leader Carlos Ortega recently fled with three officers from a high-security prison controlled by the army. They evaded security controls thanks to help from army personnel.

At the end of Dante's Inferno is the center of the earth, where Satan is held captive in the frozen lake of Cocytus. In Venezuela's Inferno, Satan is frozen in oil-rich Lake Maracaibo, a metaphor for astronomical wealth squandered by tyrannical populism. The journey through hell is now complete.

Mr. Vargas Llosa, author of "Liberty for Latin America" (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2005), is director of the Center on Global Prosperity at the Independent Institute.

Caroline Overington: Land of rum and rumba blighted by communism
THE AUSTRALIAN - OPINION
Caroline Overington
August 26, 2006
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20251894-7583,00.html

TWO years ago, I was given what quickly became an awful assignment. I was told to visit Cuba. Oh sure, like everybody I thought: dark rum, hot nights, fat cigars, the rumba.
The reality was very different. Cuba was wretched. Every day the photographer and I encountered distressing scenes of women, children and ageing Cubans living in terrible poverty.

Walking down the streets of Old Havana, we saw a very old, wrinkled woman sitting in the gutter. She was wearing a skirt with multicoloured petticoats. She had bright red lipstick and her two front teeth were missing. She was smiling a crooked smile and sucking on a long Cuban cigar.

The old woman - a grandmother, probably - was sitting there not because she was a happy little communist, as Fidel Castro would have it, not because she was thrilled with his socialist revolution, but because she was dirt-poor and hungry.

Aged 70 or older, she was in a gutter begging, hoping that a Western tourist such as me would come by, see her pretty dress and her gap-toothed smile, and exclaim: "Oh, look at you! May we take your photo?" Of course she would agree, and stick out a bony hand for an American dollar.

Elsewhere, we found barefoot children searching through rubbish bins for food. There is a large black population in Cuba - many of them are descendants of sugar-cane cutters - and there were many blacks among the beggars. Women with babies at the breast tugged at our clothes, begging for pennies.

In the Western-style bars, beautiful Cuban girls hung off the arms of Western men.

We drove into the countryside and found people living with open sewers and dirt floors, with no food, no coffee, no rum, no pork, no music, none of the things a Cuban needs to thrive.

Castro's revolution - free food, free education, free health care for all - was a sad, sorry joke. The classrooms were decrepit, the school books so old as to be useless. Store shelves were empty.

It was a police state, too. Nobody would speak ill of Castro (if they did, it was quietly, with a pale, strained face and a furtive glance over the shoulder).

We visited the homes of dissidents and heard that librarians, poets and free-marketeers - good, friendly people - had been taken to prison, some of them sentenced to 20 years or more in a cell no larger than a toilet block, forced to walk around and around in circles, 400km from home in a nation where it's impossible to visit anybody unless you hitch a ride in the back of a creaking, humpbacked truck known as a "camel", made in eastern Europe and liable to break down in the Cuban heat.

It was a terrible shock because, like many people, I'd believed the hype about Cuba: that it was a socialist paradise; that Castro was a visionary leader; that the Cuban people were happy communists. In fact, Castro is a gutless dictator who has never been brave enough to hold a presidential election. Yet across the West he continues to be celebrated as some grand, visionary leader, instead of being derided as a lunatic on his last legs.

Now there is a new book, Child of the Revolution, by Cuban-Australian Luis M. Garcia, who was born in the small Cuban village of Banes in 1959, just six months after Castro - the wealthy son of Spanish-born landowners - launched the revolution.

Garcia's book is not political. It's romantic, passionate and tremendously amusing. But he doesn't ignore the creeping horror of Castro's regime.

His parents' shop - a modest enterprise - was taken from them. Food quickly became scarce (except disgusting Hungarian meat in pressed jelly, fish heads and pigs' trotters, which were plentiful).

Cuban women, who had previously enjoyed hot nights with their families, dancing the rumba, drinking sweet coffee and partaking of prayer, took to trudging around the streets carrying la jaba - a cheap old shopping bag - in search of food. Not everybody was poor, of course: go to the website therealcuba.com and you can see aerial shots of Castro's large residences, as well as gruesome pictures of old Cuban men facing the firing squad.

When Garcia's father - poor, beaten, hungry - finally made the wrenching decision to leave Cuba, he was sent to a labour camp and forced to cut sugar cane for three years for no pay, surviving on a diet of liquid stew made of peas.

The young Luis, meanwhile, went to a camp for boy communists. When his mother wanted to visit, she had to swap her dress and a pair of shoes for some beans and pork fat so she could make him a stew.

When she couldn't hitch a ride on a humpbacked jeep, she walked through the Cuban heat for four hours, with her heavy jaba stuffed with food. to make sure her boy was all right.

Garcia captures the exquisite pain of leaving Cuba, too. Like all families, his was told: when you go, that's it, you are considered a traitor and you can never come back. You will never see a Cuban sunset, a Cuban beach, again.

Garcia has lived in Australia with his grateful parents since 1972. He's married now, with children. He published his book in June. In July came news that Castro was ill and in August he handed over power to his younger brother, Raul, at least temporarily.

The Cuban community is alive with gossip that Castro - now 80 - is nearing the end of his life and his reign. In Miami, where so many exiled Cubans live, there's a nonstop party under way.

Garcia says he's not sure how he feels about the fact that Castro will soon be dead. "I am apprehensive," he says. "Who knows what might happen next? But then I think: whatever happens, it can't be worse."

He's being polite, but I don't have to be. When I hear that Castro might soon be dead, well, it makes me want to flip up my skirt and dance a Cuban rumba.

overingtonc@theaustralian.com.au

May 2006

IT CAN’T GET LOWER THAN THIS
By Miguel L.Talleda

While innocent and defenseless women who are brave enough to fight for their rights are beaten without mercy; while Cubans in prison are forced into a horrible life, the tyrant, the grand bandit that can only be compared to the worse criminals in the history of the world, amasses great wealth on the backs of a people dying of hunger and whose youth is experiencing record high incidents of suicide. FORBES Magazine just published that Castro is richer than the Queen of England. His fortune is estimated at $900 million and this only represents the amount that can be accounted for.

And just as this miserable jackal of Cuba accumulates this great wealth he joins with another neighborhood bully, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, in their sinister plans to carry out their threat to “bring the Americans to their knees”.

On April 26, 2006, Ricardo Cabrizas Ruiz, a minister in the Cuban tyranny headed a delegation that met in Teheran with members of the Iranian government with the purpose to continue “economic and scientific collaboration” between the two countries. This was reported by the official Communist newspaper of Cuba, GRANMA.

From Italy we received a report by Carlos Carraleo sent via the Internet by Lou Pagani that Iran has just finished celebrating the Third International Conference of Solidarity with Palestine. This conference held in Teheran was attended by the president of Cuba’s puppet parliament, Ricardo Alarcon. Alarcon headed a Cuban delegation made up of dangerous counterintelligence officers. According to Carlos Carraleo this group represents nothing more than one more effort to poison the minds of those that have not yet come aboard with Cuba and Iran to destroy the United States of America.

And while all this is going on and pretending to be a saint, the one responsible for global terrorism, Fidel Castro, in his May 1 speech at the Civic Plaza (now Revolution Plaza) tries to intimidate the United States government with stupid attacks against Alpha 66; an organization made up of true fighters for the freedom of our enslaved country. The name of ALPHA 66 was mentioned fourteen times during his speech. We hate to have to show gratitude to the bloody dictator for reminding the Cuban people that our organization continues stronger than ever fighting for freedom until total liberation is achieved.

Furthermore, does this miserable tyrant think that the American government will use the “Patriot Act” as a means to protect him?

April 2006

TWO NEWS ITEMS COMING FROM CUBA ON APRIL 25, 2006.

By Miguel L. Talleda

MARTHA BEATRIZ ROQUE CABELLO SUFFERS A VIOLENT BEATING AT THE HANDS OF FASCIST MEMBERS OF THE RAPID RESPONSE BRIGADES.

In a report coming from Havana and broadcast live by Radio Mambí in Miami, Florida, during the program “Round Table” hosted by Armando Pérez Roura, Martha Beatríz Roque Cabello , member of the Assembly to Promote Civil Society in Cuba, in her own words denounced the assault to which she was subjected on this day.

In an agitated voice, often faltering due to her indignation and anger, an emotional Roque Cabello explained how upon leaving her home and in full public view, she was assaulted by members of the government’s feared Fascist Rapid Response Brigades. The perpetrators, who are retired police and enjoy the protection of the political police officials, began beating her, throwing her to the ground and dragging her down the street. All while yelling insults to her. Martha Beatríz explained how she was hit in the face and for a moment feared she would lose her eye sight. She also received hits to other parts of her body, chest and back. This brutal beating occurred under the watchful eye of the police in charge of protecting the area.

The interview with Martha Beatríz was brief given her condition. She appealed urgently to all those outside of Cuba, who value and love freedom, to denounce these provocations orchestrated by the government, in its attempt to use violence to stop the peaceful opposition to the regime. Martha Beatríz called on Cubans to denounce the increasing brutality and aggression of the Castro government.

(This news comes via Internet from Redacción de la Cuba Nueva and forwarded by Francisco Díaz)

***************************************************************************

And while these motherless animals complicit with the government rejoice by assaulting defenseless women, but patriotic ones just like other women throughout our history, Jean Guy Allard published in GRANMA, the official newspaper of the Castro regime, on this same date, a piece titled, “ALPHA 66 IN CALIFORNIA:THE ARCHIVES SPEAK”. In this article Allard not only accuses Alpha 66 of being terrorist, but also mentions the names of many true FREEDOM FIGHTERS, members of various organizations in exile. He calls these men and women terrorists in order to confuse the uninformed, while the Cuban government meets with members of the government of Iran to see how they can carry out the threat made by Castro in Tehran, where together they would work to “bring the Americans to their knees”.

But they had another thing coming if they thought that once in exile we would forget our duty with those suffering in Cuba the horrendous consequences of a regime of terror. They can be sure that we stand hand in hand with our suffering people. In a subsequent article, we will expand on these attacks, to which we are sporadically subjected by the lampooning GRANMA.

Successful demonstration of the Cuban Memorial at the seat of the dictatorship

Washington D.C., Saturday February 25, 2006. Total success describes the event supported by the Organizing Committee of the Cuban Memorial.

The peaceful act of protest and denunciation fulfilled its main goal. Different forms of press media, television, radio, and newsprint both English and Spanish, were present where a group of Cuban activists unfolded a large placard with a gigantic panoramic photo showing more than 10,000 crosses representing victims of the Cuban dictatorship throughout the last forty-seven years. They also carried symbolic white crosses and Cuban flags.

Cuban activists Eng. César Alarcón and Ernesto Díaz (writer and ex-political prisoner) were escorted by members of the secret service and the metropolitan police during the event as they tried to hand over to the representatives of the dictatorship in Washington, the more than 10,000 documented names of victims. They had to push aside by force a group of contra-demonstrators made up mainly of homeless from the area and Latin American immigrants Communist sympathizers ordered and paid by the office of Cuban Interests in Washington as they blocked the access to the door of the embassy with the main objective to prevent its presentation.

The representatives of the Cuban regime did not respond to the call of the Cuban activists at their door, discrediting themselves before the international press that were present and could corroborate this unusual fact.

Once again it was demonstrated to the world the insensibility of the present government of Cuba and its "diplomatic body", that is equally responsible and accomplices of these murders and disappearances.

With patriotic pride the Cuban Memorial every year reminds the world of ours victims.

November 2005

WHAT IS THE FREE PRESS HIDING

By: Miguel L.Talleda

We like to think that we live in a country where the press is completely free. Where newscasters are free to give the news without fear of the offenses and abuse by bandits as we have been told was the case during the times of the Wild West and where they are free from the unjust pressures of those in authority.

So why is it then that the American press which has abundant space to do so hardly ever touches upon the problems that can represent grave dangers for our way of life? Why are they not reporting on events that are happening now and that affects us all and our future? It is difficult to find in our daily newspapers details and explanations of these current events as if it were better for us to remain ignorant of what is happening.

It is only due to the new way of communication through the Internet that those with a clear head, who are not accountable to any business or corporation, are informing a great number of people of what is happening. The Internet has provided the opportunity to learn, to analyze, and to reach conclusions regarding the true dangers facing the free world. An opportunity that has allowed us to see clearly how the enemies of freedom try to advance at every chance.

Let’s look at a recent event. The visit by Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Relations, Felipe Pérez Roque to Teheran and his joint declaration with President Mahmoud Admadinehad which said, “Our mutual cooperation will make possible a quick change in the current global system to the benefit of all nations of the world”.

This comes after a statement made by Fidel Castro in Teheran a couple years ago when he said that Iran and Cuba “would force the U.S. to its knees”. And to this we can add the different pronouncements of that cretin Hugo Chavez who is usurping the presidency of Venezuela and who wants to spread the poison of Communism to all the countries of Latin America. Chavez has declared on several occasions his intention to put an end to our way of life.

It is noteworthy that we are witnessing growing cases of the bird flu at a time when Cuba and Iran have reached agreements on the development of chemical and bacteriological agents.

And as a finishing touch, we read in the Internet an article by Peter Brookes of the Department of Investigations of the New Cuba, about the dangers posed by Iran and its embrace of Al-Qaeda as it members were routed from Afghanistan in the fall of 2001, and were openly accepted in Iran.

These “refugees” of Al-Qaeda originally from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, North Africa, and parts of Europe, and including the veteran military commander, Saif al Edel, three sons of Osama Bin Laden, and his spokesperson, Saleiman abú Ghaith are all today operating from inside Iran. Saif al Edel was implicated in terrorist attacks in Kenya and Tanzania as well as the attack on the SS Cole, and the events in Mogadishu where hundreds died, many of them Americans.

What we are trying to say is that, the dangers posed by this axis of Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda that is working tirelessly to bring the free world and especially the United States to it’s knees, can only be found by reading the Internet. These dangers apparently do not merit the analysis that a free press should give to them for the benefit of the American people and all those who love freedom.

June 2005

ESCAPE FROM CUBA
'Our only luggage was hope'
BY SERGIO PERODIN JR.
sergioperodin@msn.com

As a child I had an experience that taught me the price that individuals are willing to pay for freedom.

I was only 7 years old and living in communist Cuba. My parents yearned for freedom and dreamt of coming to America. They secretly planned to escape, along with 72 others who shared their dream. We embarked on a wooden tugboat. Our only luggage was hope, but in that attempt, 41 lives were lost. Among them, my mother and brother. My father refused to give up hope, and a short time later, we risked our lives in a second attempt, but on this occasion, aboard a raft.

It began on the fateful day of July 13, 1994, as we embarked on the 13 de Marzo tugboat at about 2 a.m. About 13 miles off the coast of Cuba, we were suddenly attacked by three Cuban tugboats. They rammed us. Pressure hoses, normally used to put out fires at sea, were used against us. Their impact was so powerful that children were swept to sea from their parents' protective embrace.

Those on the tugboats shouted insults over loudspeakers. In a frenzy, they crashed into the ship, damaging the hull, which caused the tugboat to take in water rapidly. Within minutes, the ship sank. People were screaming and begging to be rescued, but those on the tugboats showed no pity. They circled us and made whirlpools in the water, causing men, women and children to be lost forever in a black sea of despair.

After what seemed an eternity of brutal abuse, the tugboats finally stopped and began picking up survivors. My mother and brother were not among them. Those of us who survived, more dead than alive from the ordeal, were not taken to receive medical assistance. Instead, we were taken to prison, where my father remained. I was later sent home in a small van and handed over to my aunt, to take care of me.

A month later, my dad was released from prison, and we were more determined than ever to attempt our search for liberty once more. It took about two weeks to build a raft. One night we embarked on the raft along with seven others and began navigating the seas with wooden paddles. We paddled for a whole day and suddenly we got caught in a storm. We tied ourselves to the raft with ropes and fell asleep from exhaustion. When we woke up, we noticed that we were being taken back to the coast of Cuba by the rough currents of the storm.

At that instant, it seemed as if all our hopes had been lost, but again with all the strength within us, we continued paddling assured that freedom awaited us. We were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard and eventually taken to the Guantánamo Naval Base in Cuba.

On Jan. 21, 1995, we finally arrived in the United States. At that moment we felt happier than ever, but there was sadness and anger and disappointment that in our search for a new life, my father and I had lost our most valued treasures -- my mother and brother. Yet the first thing my father and relatives did was fly to Washington and testify before the U.S. Congress on what has come to be known as the Massacre of the Tugboat 13th of March, perpetrated by the Castro regime.

Two months after our arrival, life showed us how generous it can be. My father met an incredibly loving woman who has been a mother to me. A month later we moved to her apartment and started our new life in the United States, supported by her unconditional love and guidance.

I will be graduating from high school today. Another dream has been achieved. To this day, I remember that awful tragedy and I still struggle with the memories. But I know I have another dream to accomplish for myself and the memory of my mother and brother. I will go to college. I will do it in the land where everything is possible -- in the land where I found something so valuable that people are willing to risk their lives to obtain it.

It is called freedom.

Sergio Perodín Jr., a survivor of the 13 de Marzo tugboat massacre, is graduating from Coral Gables Senior High today.

(This beautiful story of courage and determination in the face of one of the most monstrous and heinous examples of the horrors inflicted on our people by the tyrannical regime of Cuba, was sent to ALPHA 66 by La Voz de Cuba Libre & Fadiazus@verizon.net)

January. 2005

A HISTORICAL SPEECH
By Miguel L. Talleda

In May 2004 we were already aware that a majority of Cubans in the Los Angeles area were supporting a second term for President George W. Bush because of his sui generis posture in favor of freedom. His actions in Afghanistan and Iraq had already given credence to his words. Consequently, Cuban organizations in Los Angeles met at the Club Cubano del Valle de San Gabriel to draft a document that would be sent to the president.

In this document we let him know that he had shown great courage in the face of terrorism and in the criminal conduct of both Bin Laden and Sadam Hussein. We let him know also that Fidel Castro was equally as criminal and outlawed as these two; that while the United States' attention was focused in the Middle East, Castro was trying to spread Communism throughout Latin America. We expressed to the president our hope that our efforts to fight against the terrorism of Cuba's tyranny would not be interrupted.

In a letter personally signed and dated July 2, 2004, the president responded that both he and his wife Laura appreciated our support and was glad to hear our views.

But were we really ready to hear the historic speech with which President Bush inaugurated his second term? I don't believe so. In fact, we think few people were prepared to hear such oratory that will surely transcend generations and become known as "The Freedom Speech". It is already being compared to the speeches made by Presidents Lincoln and Jefferson in their second inauguration.

"There is only one force of history that can break the reign of hatred and resentment, and expose the pretensions of tyrants, and reward the hopes of the decent and tolerant, and that is the force of human freedom"....."The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world."

The entire speech of President Bush is a clarion call to freedom, categorical and unambiguous. Those of us Cubans living in and out of Cuba who have hoped and struggled tirelessly for freedom in our homeland see ourselves in this historic call for freedom. As he says, "All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for liberty, we will stand with you."

There is no doubt President Bush is a student of history for he recognizes that the great human tragedies of our time have always been the work of tyrants with evil powers.

Alpha 66 was founded to fight for the freedom of our people. The obstacles we find in our path need to be a thing of the past because our people in Cuba today cannot wait any longer. This call for freedom throughout the world must finally put an end to the terrorism that Castro has spread throughout all of the Americas.

January 2005

The Delegation of Alpha 66, in the city of San Antonio, Texas, that our compatriot Dr. Carlos Carbonell, M.D. presides over, does not rest. Both October 10, and December 7 and the rest of the native dates, are always remembered in public events that they organize. Now they have felt hurt by the mistreatments that our Cuban brothers are suffering in the hands of the Bahamian authorities and as a response the "International Front For the Freedom of Cuba" has thrown a call of boycott in order that the Bahamas are not visited, an action that we fully support. Alpha 66.

¡Do not visit the Bahamas!

All Cubans that arrive there by boat have been jailed by the corrupt government. The Cuban political prisoners are physically treated bad, they are in hell. The government of the Bahamas are a good friend of the Castro brothers and it's gangsters. Do not go to the Bahamas, have dignity and shame.

Dr. Carlos D. Carbonell
Organizing and Press Secretary and Delegate
"Alpha 66" Delegate in San Antonio, Texas

City of New York, December 10, 2004

Today, on the anniversary of Human Rights Day, a group of Cubans representing several organizations and who plead for this cause, gathered at the International Headquarters of the United Nations to deliver the following declaration directed at the Secretary - General of the UN and Heads of State, for its execution and dissemination. The same declaration was delivered to corresponding civil employees at the Department of Human Rights of this institution.

The delegation also made pertinent transactions before this organization to direct an urgent sentence against the Government of Bahamas for the brutal acts committed recently in Nassau, against our Cuban brothers.

City of New York
December 10, 2004
(International Day of Human Rights)

Distinguished Mr. Kofi Annan
Secretary General of the UN,

Distinguished Heads of State,

Distinguished Representatives of Humanitarian Organizations:

On the 10th day of December 2004, a group of Cuban Freedom fighters, gathered at the Palace of the United Nations, City of New York, and proclaimed the following:

Today it is a very important day for those who love freedom and the right to life: today we commemorate a new anniversary of the restoration of the Universal Day of Human Rights.

The Universal Declaration of the Human Rights, established by the United Nations (the UN) on the 10 of December 1945, gathers in its articles what can be considered the fundamental, or divine, rights that each human being should enjoy without limitations.

Lamentably, there are governments that although signatory nations to this declaration, ignore the moral commitment that this implies. And in their eagerness to maintain their politics of hatred and absolute control, systematically promote violence, by applying cruel and degrading measures, in abominable acts of revenge and repression against the defenseless population. That is the case in Cuba, our dear mother country, where for more than forty-five years an infamous regime, that does not respect its citizens and violates their essential rights, has remained in power by force.

It's no secret to anyone that the government of Cuba maintains hundreds of political prisoners in jails and concentration camps. They are jailed and freed at the regime's will and at the convenience of the dictatorship, without any legal, just and respectable procedures. Similarly, the severity and prison treatment are set according to the interests of the regime. It is well known that there's no limit to the mistreatment and torture, nor there exists established sanctions to determine the period of time that a person condemned for political discrepancies has to spend behind bars. Everything is subject to the capricious will of the tyrant who enslaves our nation.

In the international context, on several occasions the government of Cuba has been condemned by the UN's Commission on Human Rights, as well as by the Organization of American States (O.A.S.). Many are governments, humanitarian institutions and non-governmental organizations that have also shown their disgust as energetic condemnation to the communist dictatorship of Cuba.

To consider that the United Nations symbolizes the yearnings of justice, freedom and prosperity, framed its fundamental function within genuinely representative systems of government, selected by multi-party elections, such as Cubans aspire, we trust its statutes and its democratic projection. At the same time we reiterate our unshakeable will to continue fighting relentlessly for the freedom of Cuba and because for each Cuban, independently of their political philosophy, religious vocation, race or any other personal condition, we respect their physical integrity and their human dignity.

Along with the admiration that today's date inspires, we want to remind each head of the democratic countries that make up the UN, as well as our Secretary General, that in the case of Cuba the inspection visits by the Human Rights Special Inspector approved by majority voting in several meetings of the Commission on Human Rights, celebrated at the UN headquarters in Geneva, are still pending. Considering the reasons previously mentioned, we exhort you, honorable Mr. Kofi Annan, as well as each representative country of the UN, to take appropriate measures within this organization, in order to prevent continued violations of the condemning Human Rights resolutions, as is the case with Cuba, that systematically has refused to allow visits by the Human Rights Inspector.

We take the opportunity of this occasion to also remind you, finally, that our country continues to arrest and to arbitrarily apply sanctions; that Cuban political prisoners remain under a regiment of inhumane imprisonment, degrading and cruel, which constitute a flagrant violation of the historical concept contained within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Respectfully,

César L. Alarcón President Cuban Movementh For a Unified Democracy	Angel L. Arguelles Ex-Polítical Prisoner
Ernesto Díaz Rodríguez Secretary General Alpha 66 and Director Plantados Until Freedom and Democracy in Cuba	Basilio Gúzman Ex-Polítical Prisoner
Eusebio Peñalver President Unidad Cubana and Director Plantados Until Freedom and Democracy in Cuba	Roberto Perdomo Díaz Ex-Polítical Prisoner

August 2004

RONALD REAGAN: A HERO FOR THE AGES
By: Miguel L.Talleda

Recently we witness an extraordinary event, one that showed the love of the American people for President Reagan. No one had to convene it. There were no invitations. All that was needed was the itinerary of his funeral for the people to attend and wait in long lines for the opportunity to pass by his casket. It was an event as extraordinary in Simi Valley, California as it was in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington D.C. It was the recognition by his people of a president that during his tenure had been constantly derided by most prominent news organizations, including television stations. His principles and ideals went against the leftist Communism that had infiltrated all spheres of this great country.

Since the start of his political career in the 1960's we appreciated the caliber and clarity of his thought. We appreciated this public man that many people said was not important. This was a time when hundreds of Cubans were arriving in the United States every day. We were fleeing the Communism that was beginning to show its claws of terror, hunger, and misery. But we found that a large sector of the American people did not accept or want to recognize the danger that Fidel Castro and his relations with the Soviet Union posed to the security of this country. To the contrary, some felt a great sympathy for this supposed revolutionary and considered him a hero and a liberator. This simplistic thinking, one that ignored our experience of having left EVERYTHING behind so we would not have to live under a Communist regime dominated the Democratic Party. This is why the majority of Cubans joined the Republican Party.

Cubans began to search for the voices that would loudly state the reality of what was happening in Cuba. We wanted Americans to understand the betrayal of Fidel Castro and his surrender to international Communism. This is when I started listening to Ronald Reagan. He had a radio program only five minutes long that was heard at five minutes to noon daily. I went home for lunch everyday but was careful to be in my car at five minutes to noon so I would not miss Reagan's forceful message against Communism. He was firm, clear, and inspiring. This was something I needed because as an exile, although always firm, I appreciated those who saw the situation with the same clarity I did.

In my home we are not accustomed to drinking beer, but we have bought it for especial occasions like parties or other gatherings. I would always bring Coors beer to these functions. On one occasion one of my children asked why always Coors. I responded that it was because it was Coors that sponsored the five minutes of Ronald Reagan that I so much enjoyed. I figured that if the makers of Coors were smart enough to alert the American people by sponsoring the messages of Ronald Reagan, they must make a fine beer.

January 2004

THE TRUE INDEPENDENCE

(Third and final of three articles)

By Miguel L. Talleda

In the two previous articles on the issue of THE TRUE INDEPENDENCE, we have clearly stated how we have been denied the right to fight for the liberation of our country. We don’t think it’s necessary to give a history of the complicity of the Castro government with international terrorism. Anyone who is keeping a record of world events has a file describing the activities of these international evil-doers, who using our island as a launching pad, are plotting the destruction of the United States and of freedom.

Hate is a powerful arm and is easy to sow by perverse minds like Castro and his evil cronies who use it incessantly against this country. They have no limits such as the case described in the book, “Honor Bound” by Stuart I. Rochester and Frederick Kiley when they write of a group of Cuban agents sent to Vietnam “to show how to torture American prisoners of war.” The regime’s machination to sow hate was perfected as a destructive force during the Tri-Continental Conference held in Havana in 1966 and it has never stopped. Today the Castro government is reaping what it sowed. All those that were indoctrinated in camps in Cuba are today working to destabilize Latin American governments. After being responsible for much of the bloodshed in this continent, many of them today hold high office in many Latin American governments as is evidenced by the Montoneros in Argentina.

So today we see that Castro agents invade Venezuela to help Chavez in his quest to subject the Venezuelan people to the same misery that now rules Cuba. It is difficult to recognize this because it is such a historical mistake, but while this is happening, the Cubans in exile are denied the right to fight with arms in their hands to liberate our country. In plain and simple words: Fidel Castro and his Communist tyranny are today in fact enjoying the protection of the American government.

We say this because President George W. Bush has demonstrated in the war against terrorism that he has what it takes to carry out his vision to bring freedom to the oppressed people of the world and is capable of taking the steps necessary to accomplish this mission.

This is not the opinion of one group or the whim of Alpha 66. It is the hope of an exile community that has suffered and that sees how some will like us to believe that freedom can be obtained with Fidel Castro and his accomplices under the current Communist constitution.

To fight with arms in hand, in uniform, as did Vicente Mendez, Rodriquez Perez and many others; to fight like the guerrillas fought in the Escambray or like the brave men that landed at the Bay of Pigs is not only our duty but an unavoidable necessity for us. Our immediate task is to let this be known to all world governments starting with the American government. Our right to fight must be a National Pro Liberty struggle.

The Cuban people should not be condemned any longer to live in their current state of misery. The brave prisoners that protest from the dungeons in the island should be freed immediately.

The persecution that impedes our efforts should cease because as we said before, it represents a shameful protection on the part of the American government of the criminal system that today violates and tramples on our people.

January 2004

THE TRUE INDEPENDENCE
(Second of three articles)

By Miguel L. Talleda

We return again to the topic presented last week in the article of the same title, "The True Independence". In revisiting the topic, we should analyze a bit more the differences between the 1970s and now.

But before, let us pose these questions: Can the concept of an independent Cuba be truly defended, if deep down we don't believe it's possible? Is there deep in our souls a defeatist notion, the fruit of a long period of exile we have had to endure?

Pertinent to this discussion are the words of the father of our country, Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, who when appealing to all Cubans to stand up against Spain, said (and I paraphrase): "If we doubt our victory it's only because we have become accustomed to looking at the empire from bended knees for more than 400 years."

It's true that more than thirty years have passed since Alpha 66 assessed its forces on the battlefield against the communist tyranny. Yet, it's no less certain today that we find ourselves fighting against an enemy who is on the throws of a slow death. However, it must be aided by a final push, because it's not possible to justify the conditions our people are forced to live in, particularly those who, as a result of their dignity, are suffering the horrors of the communist prisons.

Based on past experiences, we can say that if we had the opportunity to send just one hundred men, as commando groups to land in three to four places around the island (and Alpha 66 has already studied where these landings could take place) we would lift the Cuban people's rebellious spirits as they receive our directives on how to destroy the terror apparatus that has kept them handcuffed.

Oh!, but if we're going to be persecuted by the U.S. Coast Guard, as if we were the real enemies of this country, while Fidel Castro is perceived as the innocent neighbor with great affection for the institutions and success of the American system--then, we might as well turn off the lights and call it a day.

There are additional questions that we Cubans should ask: Are we, the free Cubans, less worthy than the Afghans fighting in the mountains against the Taliban? Are we more inconsequential than the Kurdish enemies of Saddam Hussein? All of them were given arms to combat their dictators. If all we are asking is not to be persecuted in our efforts to liberate our homeland, then why are we being denied this right? Is there a difference between Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, and Fidel Castro in their hatred toward Americans?

It's time for the exile community as a whole, not only Alpha 66, to put this issue flat on the table. We aren't asking for anything except the right to not be persecuted, because we want for our people the freedom to which they are entitled. To act otherwise is to leave a stain for future generations who are so proud of our patriotic past.

January 2004

THE TRUE INDEPENDENCE

(First of three articles)

By Miguel L. Talleda

During the meeting that Cuba’s tyrant convenes each year to celebrate his anniversary, this being the 45^th and held at the Karl Marx Theater, he said, according to the Associated Press, “we believe in the right of nations, especially their right to independence.”

This declaration is a classic example of the shameless manner he lies and often twists the truth. It must be said, however, that this time he broke the record for shame. Is it not his government that has tried to subvert the governments of the other Latin American countries? Where is the independence he so praises when he made Cuba into a satellite of the former Soviet Union and of international communism? Where is this independence when he lowers himself and begs visiting American Congressmen to lift the embargo so he can get American dollars in order to sustain his own survival, the same dollars he has repeatedly said he hates?

But this is Fidel Castro. We must speak of another type of independence. The one that we learned from José Martí. The one that Alpha 66 has always held to so we could fight without interference.

Some will wonder what we Alfistas are talking about. They will wonder if we don’t realize that our strength through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s is already behind us. They will wonder if we are not aware that times have changed.

The times may have changed for those that have given up and are waiting to liberate Cuba under the cover of an American intervention. But times have not changed for those training in our camp, Rumbo Sur, or for those of us that still harbor a sense of duty. If anyone doubts that we can mobilize and awaken exiles from their slumber, they only have to look at what happened with Elian Gonzalez. Elian brought out patriotism among exiles that resulted in extraordinary accomplishments.

We are only looking for a sign, some indication that we will not meet with the same treatment as in the past when we encountered the U.S. Coast Guard. They have confiscated our arms and our boats, thus forcing us to try everything in our power to evade them in order to reach the coast of Cuba. And all this based on laws that need not have been applied to us. On some occasions, their actions were based on agreements never even signed into law, like the famous Kennedy-Krushev pact.

This nation has had ten presidents since the tyrant took over Cuba. They have all condemned the atrocities of the tyranny but have not taken the definitive step needed, THE ONLY ONE THAT IS NEEDED, AND THAT IS TO LET US PROVE THAT WE CAN LIBERATE CUBA. This current president, the Honorable George W. Bush, is proving to be different from the rest. His courage is surprising the entire world. We shall wait and see.

December 2003

THE TIME OF EMPTY TALK

By: Miguel L. Talleda

A recent news item told us of the first high level meeting in the White House of the commission, “Assistance to Free Cuba.” Under Secretary of State for Latin America, Roger Noriega, and Housing Secretary, Mel Martinez, believe that a change in Cuba may happen any moment and they are working to ensure that Castro’s cronies don’t take control of the security system.

But a peaceful transition with Fidel Castro? Who are they trying to kid? In the first place, President Bush does not need, that in his name, we be fed this empty talk. The majority of Cubans in exile are in complete agreement with his policies and will support him in the coming elections. He has proven that he has what it takes to see this country through at this dangerous moment in our history. His vision to combat the absence of freedom as a primary solution for a happier humanity is a great motivator to all those people today still living under the boot of oppressive regimes.

But please don’t give us this empty talk. If at this stage they don’t know Fidel Castro and his oppressive regime, let them look at recent events. Castro’s communism has to be treated the same as Saddam Hussein. There is no other way. Waiting until Fidel and his brother Raul die should not be an option. There is too much pain in the people and too much suffering in the prisons.

During the 1970’s when Alpha 66 intensified its fight against Castro, responsible voices in the U.S. Congress were raised to clarify matters. South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond in the Senate and Florida Congressman William C. Cramer in the House fought on our behalf so we could maintain our right as Cubans to fight for Cuba and not be persecuted unjustly. In a speech before the House of Representatives, Congressman Cramer repeated Robert Kennedy’s words on April 20, 1961 while Attorney General of the United States: that the Law of Neutrality was never meant to prevent individuals from leaving from the United States to fight causes they believed in. There is nothing in the Law of Neutrality that prohibits Cuban refugees to return to their homeland to fight for its liberation.

Senator Thurmond on more than one occasion insisted that Cubans in exile had the right to take up arms against Castro to liberate Cuba. He said this right was codified into Law 87-733 effective October 3, 1962 and was part of the official policy of the United States. This law is a resolution passed by both houses of congress and signed by President Kennedy.

Having been persecuted time and again in the high seas by officials of the U.S. government, and as the symbol of resistance of the Cubans in exile, Alpha 66 chastises those that want to fool us with a sense of hope that is truly groundless.

The time of empty talk has passed.

July 2003

Next the translation of the editorial of the Wall Street Journal, in the International section of this newspaper, on Monday 21 of July, 2003. Alpha 66 agrees totally with this denunciation, before the indifference shown by the black organizations in the United States over the criminal exploitation by Fidel Castro of our black brothers in Cuba. Miguel Talleda.

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NAACP’s FORGOTEN BROTHERS IN CUBA

Our struggle is not just in the United States. Our struggle is throughout the world,” NAACP President Kweisi Mfume said just last week during the association’s annual meeting in Miami. To be accurate, he might have added, “except in Cuba”

That is the message black Cuban-Americans received when they lobbied the NAACP for solidarity against Fidel Castro’s racial repression.. Mr Mfume gave them platitudes about “negotiations” and “back-channel communications.”

Eusebio Peñalver, a 69-year-old black Cuban who was jailed by Castro for 28 years and now lives in Miami, is bitter. “I have never heard of a chapter of the NAACP taking an interest in the Cuban Negro,” he has said. “While they moved in a precise way for solidarity to get rid of apartheid in South Africa, we have never received their support, even though we have asked for it. “Sixty percent of the island is Afro-Cuban, yet, in just one example of their low place in society, only 5% of jobs in the high-paying tourism industry go to blacks.

One of the ironies of Fidel’s Revolution is that since it has invested so much in the myth that it raised up the black Cuban, it can’t tolerate public expressions of dissatisfaction with that image. All dissidents are terribly abused, but Afro-Cuban dissidents get especially cruel treatment. Recall the three young black Cubans whose ferry hijacking went awry in April. No one was injured, but they were executed by firing squad.

Successful blacks who challenge Castro also receive hateful treatment. Cuban singing sensation Celia Cruz escaped Castro’s plantation many decades ago, and in retribution of her flight to freedom she was not allowed to return to Cuba for her mother’s funeral. Celia Cruz herself died last week, yearning for her beloved Cuba.

Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, a disciple of Martin Luther King and a symbol of non-violent civil rights activism, was beaten savagely last fall and in April was sentenced to 25 years in prison. His official crime was distributing the International Human Rights Declaration and teaching Cubans about it. His real crime is being a black dissident.

NAACP leaders visited Mr. Biscet in Havana last fall, suggesting qualms of conscience somewhere in the organization. We don’t ever recall the NAACP in the past settling for “back channel communication” to right such obvious wrongs. Castro’s current oppression of Afro-Cuban dissidents deserves more noise that it’s getting now from the friends of civil rights.

December 2002

This is an article written by Mr. Oscar Talleda and published on the Daily Breeze, Torrance, California, which we would like to bring to your attention:

October 2002

NOT EVEN ONE WORD
By Miguel L. Talleda

    We Cubans, the ones living in exile and those in the island, are witnessing real incredible things. It appears impossible after almost 44 years of Castro’s totalitarian tyranny and hate for the American people and its successfully rich economic system and total freedom, that we still see groups of American citizens going to Cuba to prepare an exhibit of American products, and being gracious to this master of deception.

    We ask ourselves, how can we explain this behavior? Don’t they know who Castro is? How oblivious can those looking for a good business be? Don’t they know they are helping a declared enemy of the United States? Haven’t they seen the huge billboards that line the highways in Cuba saying, “YANKEES GO HOME” or “FIDEL, HIT THE YANKEES HARD”?

    Now as his dismal system is nearing its end, with its people hungry, persecuted, and desperately suffering, the evil Castro is trying to cultivate the greed of those who want to make money at any cost by promoting “The Havana Industrial Fair.” Hundreds of American citizens were invited. Castro separated them by their state of residence and he talked to them for hours on end, as if to tire them in order to avoid any difficult questions they may have had for him. It’s the classical case of the dogs continually barking to the quails. The quails are paralyzed and forced to the ground where they become victims of the hunters.

    When Castro feasted on a banquet with the delegation from the State of Kentucky all kinds of food were served; food that the people of Cuba have never had the opportunity to taste. At this event, this “intelligent,” “this know it all” spoke about the American constitution and showed his astonishment that such a complicated system would work. When the turn came for those of North Carolina, he sat at the head table for a meal of shrimp, fish, lamb, potato, chocolates and other luxuries. This time he spoke of the educational system, how to plant trees, and about ground rotation among other things.

   With the residents of the State of Virginia, he gave the same old song about the colonial times and the founders of that State. Castro spoke of tobacco, soy beans and showed his interest in the nutrition problem. That is it. Regarding the suffering of the Cuban people, NOT EVEN ONE WORD. Nothing was said about the abuses suffered by the Cuban people or the hunger strikes going on inside the prisons due to the mistreatment of the prisoners. Nothing about the journalists thrown in jail for reporting such misery. Nothing either was said about the double standard where tourists enjoy hotels, beaches, and food, while the people of the island live on a miserable food ration and are prohibited from enjoying their homeland hotels and beaches.

    And what is really distressing is that these Americans that went to the Fair: industrialists, professors, State officials, Congressmen and even a Governor are the same that with their hand over their heart solemnly stand and salute on occasions honoring the victims of the terrorist attack of September 11. They all say they are totally supportive of the war on terrorism and that they are willing to give their life in defense of this nation.

    But, and this is difficult to understand. They don’t know, or they don’t want to know, that Fidel Castro is a sworn enemy of the United States. That during his 43 years in power the central thought in his mind has been to destroy this great nation. That there is an enormous amount of proof of how far he has gone in his hate for our democratic system. That he was so cowardly as to send a specialized team to Vietnam to torture the American P.O.Ws. That his spies have reached inside the Pentagon. That he is a friend and comrade of the main international enemies of this country. That a few months before the September 11 terrorist attacks, he declared in Iran that very soon they, the Iranian government and him, would put the Americans on their knees. Are all these visitors to the Havana Industrial Fair unable to recognize an impostor? This is a pity!

Could no one have interrupted Castro to make him confess any one of his crimes? No. At this Fair in Havana not even one word was said about the suffering of the Cuban people.

May 2002

FOOD FOR THOUGHTS THIS MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
By José Alex Ibarra

Once again as Americans we celebrated our fallen heroes and those that have bravely served to protect our great nation this passed Memorial Day Weekend. This year its significance hits closer to home for many after the September 11th attacks on our Financial and Military Centers. It has cemented a multi-cultural populace behind the ideal that Liberty above all must endure.

Part of that multitude of people from diverse backgrounds are those whose ancestry derive from the island of Cuba. A nation still under the shackles of oppression of a ruthless dictatorship associated by our very government as a supporter, trainer and exporter of terrorism. The very terrorism that our nation is now posed to combat and defeat. Yet our very leaders, while taking a harder stance against other Terrorist Nation-States, are looking to embrace and open trade with a nation that our Intelligence services have identified as a continual threat to this country.

Instead of looking to relax the embargo against the government of Cuba, this country's leadership should look toward relaxing the handcuffs imposed upon Cuban Americans to fight for the freedom of our native land, very much as those that we honor this Memorial Day Weekend have done on behalf of this great nation. The handcuffs that I refer to are an outdated agreement signed with a now non-existent nation to protect the Castrist regime from outside aggression. The Kennedy-Krushchev agreement signed with the Soviet Union, a country that ceased to exist over a decade and a half ago, is archaic and counter-productive to the war on terrorism declared by the President of the US.

All we ask is for the opportunity to fight for the liberation of our country. To fight for freedom, the free exchange of ideals and an open society, pretty much what Americans have fought for and enjoyed for the last 226 years. Lift the restrictions on fighting for our freedom, rather than lifting the embargo. On this weekend it is definitely food for thought.

May 2002

EX-PRESIDENT CARTER’S TRIP TO CUBA
By Miguel L. Talleda

Many Americans and Cubans alike have asked us what is the opinion of ALPHA 66 regarding Ex-president Carter’s trip to Cuba. Our internet page has been flooded with articles, opinions, and editorials from various newspapers on this issue. This is why when we give our opinion, we are careful because we are not seen as one person, but rather as one of the voices that represents the thinking of the organization.

There are various aspects that need to be analyzed with respect to Carter’s trip to Cuba. First, he had every right to make this trip, after having requested and been granted permission from the U.S. government. But this does not deny the fact that a great many Americans did not see this trip to their liking, since it represented a visit to a tyrant that does not have, and never has had, anything other than a demented hatred of this country.

Whatever our opinion may be, we cannot ignore his brave speech in front of the tyrant himself and his cronies, gathered at the University of Havana. He proposed structural change to Cuba’s Communist system, that if accepted by the Castro government, would once and for all defeat the ferocious oppression and suffering of the Cuban people. It is clear that Fidel Castro will pay scant attention to these proposals made by Ex-president Carter. These scoundrels are enamored of what they have done for the past 43 years, because while they have trampled on the Cuban people, they have been able to enjoy the spoils of their exploitation. There is no other way to describe them but as the bandits that they are!

Our position on the Varela Project has always been to observe with respect. This is the work of a group of "dissidents” that wants to change the Socialist Constitution toward a “gradual and peaceful evolution of the society.” Nowhere does this Project propose the total elimination of the oppressive system the Cuban people are currently suffering. In other words, it says, “it would eliminate embezzlements, misappropriation of funds and theft, the corruption of workers and government employees, abuse of power, and parasitism…” It would also contemplate the right to freedom of expression and association, the right of Cubans to establish businesses and amnesty for all political prisoners. There is no doubt that the threats, incarceration, and offenses to which the proponents of the Varela Project expose themselves and their families are worthy of respect.

Having said all this, we believe the tyrant Castro will not pay any attention to the Varela Project and will stall as long as possible to make the proponents of the Project think he will do something and thus keep them distracted. This is really serious. The effort of the Cuban people needs to be as OPPOSITIONISTS not dissidents, because only in this way will they create the conditions for a civic struggle, that will once and for all put an end to the bloody dictatorship presided by Fidel Castro. This has been the struggle of Alpha 66 since its founding and which continues to this day.

The fact that Ex-president Carter made mention of the Varela Project in his speech, that was broadcast throughout Cuba on radio and television, is a positive development. There is no doubt that many Cubans will think about the freedoms they now lack and the system of slavery that has been perpetrated upon them. In the end they will be convinced that they will be truly free only when they once and for all cut all ties, at great risk, with the Communist system that hovers over them like a heavy plow.

But there is one truly negative aspect of the Ex-president’s trip to Cuba. We are referring to his raising doubts that the Castro government is experimenting with biological and chemical weapons and using these as a means of negotiations with the most dangerous terrorists states in the world, Iraq and Iran.

That the Cuban government denies developing these dangerous weapons is not surprising. To downplay the danger posed by Cuba in this area could cause disastrous consequences, especially at this time when the entire free world, and the United States in particular, is living under threats that cannot be precisely determined. To ignore Castro’s own words pronounced in Tehran, Iran, in May 2001 and published by the French press is a grave danger. Here is what the tyrant said:

“The United States government is weak and we are able to see this from up close. I can tell you that we do not fear that country. The people of Cuba and Iran are capable of bringing the United States to its
knees.”

March 2002

Cubans seeking asylum at Mexican Embassy
A response to WABCRadio/Curtis & Kuby -New York

Dear Ron:

I am writing in response to comments you made earlier this week which stated that the Cubans seeking asylum at the Mexican embassy had been kicked out because they had "busted" through the gates (hence, broken the law), and furthermore, they had been listening to Radio Marti--which, of course, echoes what Castro said, and immediately implicates the Cuban American community.

I realize you are the left wing of the program, and defending the Castro government against a group of innocent freedom seeking civilians should not surprise me. But it does. It does for two specific reasons. First, as an attorney, you are a man of justice and a man that abides by the rule of law, a reference you make quite frequently on your program. Second, as a radio talk show host, you are a man of free speech. It is well known that both of these principles are in short supply in Castro's Cuba.   So why are you denouncing the actions of a group of people who are clearly desperate to leave Castro's tyranny? Because they busted the gates? What a precedent! As you well know, diplomatic immunity has been a long standing gateway to freedom and was particularly useful behind the Iron Curtain and during WWII to escape Hitler's atrocities. Castro's Cuba is also on that list.

Another point that needs to be made is that Jorge Castaneda, Mexico's Foreign Minister did indeed say that , "the doors to Mexico's embassy in Havana were open to Cubans". These are statements he explicitly made in Miami prior to the incident. The problem lies in that he was taken up on his offer, something he didn't expect . The results: a demonstration of failed diplomacy as Mexico aims to play both sides of the fence.   This will serve as a good reminder to our friends down south the next time they whine about the rights of Mexican illegals in this country.

As far as your suggestion that the refugees were listening to Radio Marti--what if they were? Where's the crime? They certainly are not going to be informed on Castro's state controlled media. Or is it that the message sent by Radio Marti is not politically correct?   Surely you must understand the Cuban people's craving for information.   As much as I enjoy your program (thanks to Curtis), I don't think I would approve having it as my only source of news and information for a period of 43 years.    Yet, this is one example of the many tragedies Cubans have had to endure throughout the past decades ,while the emperor empowers his empire.

What seems to be truly important here, more than busting through gates, or listening to the radio, is how these Cuban citizens were snatched from the Mexican embassy in the middle of the night by Castro's police, and so far, there are no reports of their whereabouts.   Important is also how journalists who tried to cover the incident were beaten by the police, as their cameras were thrown to the ground. The government eager to block the cameras from capturing the influx of Cubans who were seeking asylum. And even more depressing is how Castro has used this incident as an excuse to round up dissidents--subjecting them to harassment, coercion, and imprisonment. How about reporting that to your listeners Ron?

I realize that the problem of Cuba belongs to the Cubans. To those within the island, and to those of us in exile. However, I think it is important to remind people like yourself, people who live with impressive privilege, that you should not apply a double standard to the plight of the Cuban people. The crimes Castro has committed against his own people, the amount and severity of the abuse, all cloaked behind a mask of political bravura, cannot, and will not, be forgiven. Justice needs to be done. So, I ask you Ron, as a man of justice, and as a man of free speech, I ask that you apply the same principles of freedom that you demand for yourself and those you care about, to the criteria in judgment that you apply to the people of Cuba. Don't defend Fidel Castro unless you're prepared to trade places with the people of Cuba.   Otherwise, the words are pure entertainment .

Sincerely,
Margarita Talleda

Article published on February 7, 2002, in the section "Your Views," letters to the Editor, by the Daily Breeze, one of the most important newspapers in the Los Angeles area.

"FIDEL" BILLBOARD INSULT TO CUBANS

I am writing about a huge billboard in the city of Torrance on Torrance Blvd. and Western Avenue. The name “Fidel” appears in large letters in the center with the image of Fidel Castro to its left. This is the propaganda of a television network.

I believe this is not only an insult to thousands of Cubans who live in the South Bay, but to all citizens who respect freedom and democracy.

Who is Fidel?

He is the first terrorist of this hemisphere. He is a tyrant who for 43 years has murdered thousands of Cuban for one reason: They fought for their freedom. He has destroyed the economic system of Cuba. He spent more than $3.35 billion that the former Soviet Union gave him to send guerrilla fighters and arms to Angola, Congo, Yemen, and Ethiopia (in Africa) and to Bolivia, Panama and Nicaragua, (in South America). He trained terrorists from Colombia in Havana, including his leader Manuel Marulanda. In Havana, he trained Comandante Marcus, the leader of the guerrillas in Chiapas , Mexico.

I believe our leaders should not permit this kind of propaganda for a terrorist in our clean city. If it is permitted today, tomorrow we will see the image of Hitler or Osama bin Laden in the same place.

God Bless America.

OSCAR TALLEDA
Torrance

Letters to the Editor for Jan. 8, 2002
(This response was published today, 01-08-02, by the Santa Maria Times)

*Put ear to ground in Cuba

To the Editor:

Re: The letter published on Dec. 5 in the Santa Maria Times, written by Luis M. Segui, president of the Central Coast Division of the "Cuban American Education Fund." Mr. Segui's letter is a rebuttal to columnist Roger Hernández.

There are two parts I would like to address in Mr. Segui's letter, and I want to refer briefly to the first part. To characterize the Cuban people on the island as a happy-go-lucky people, who could care less about being subjected to 43 years of a communist system, manipulated by the worst scourges the world has ever known, is truly an insult to your readers. How could they possibly like a tyrannical system whose laws prohibit them from enjoying the basic liberties, afforded the peoples of all free societies? Why is it that year after year thousands of Cubans continue to risk their lives and those of their children in the shark-infested waters of the Caribbean?

The usual failures of communism, which have occurred in all countries where the communists have established their destructive system, creates a well-known lack of incentive that causes production to go down. It has happened in Cuba, not because of the U.S. embargo, but because they are both corrupt and inept. Castro can buy anything, any product, any medicine anywhere in the world. The major problem is, that he has no credit, and for that matter no credibility. Now he whines and places blame on the U.S. embargo, because he wants the American people to pay for his failures.

But let's go to the second part of Mr. Segui's letter and take a look at terrorism.

The problem faced by Americans and the free world since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 is to figure out correctly who are our friends and who are our enemies. The goal of our enemies is to destroy, not only the U.S. but also Western civilization, and with it our way of life. President George W. Bush has clearly stated that with the terrorist there is no dialogue, that the only way to fight them is to bring them to justice or to kill them.

Now, Mr. Segui doesn't like the suggestion that Cuba is a terrorist nation. Of course, Cuba is not a terrorist nation; it is a nation occupied by a well-known terrorist, Fidel Castro, and a group of bandits, whose victims are their own people living under Castro's tyranny, himself a declared enemy of the United States.

The scope of Fidel Castro's involvement in terrorism is impossible to relate in a short letter like this. However there are some significant circumstances that merit a closer look, due to the danger they pose to the lives of the American people.

Can we afford to wait for a catastrophe to fall upon us as a result of the wicked mind of Castro? Is the information released thus far on the development of chemical and bacteriological weapons by the Cuban tyranny not evidence enough? Isn't it naive to think that all the time and money Castro has spent on programs for the development of biological weapons is not a part of a sinister plot against this country?

Castro and his cronies are now trying to appear as if they are against terrorism. However, what logic is there in trying to sweep under the rug 43 years of a well-documented hatred emanating from this sinister character?

The French Press on May 9, 2001, quoted Castro in Iran as saying: "The North American regime is weak and we see it from a close point of view. I can tell you that we are not afraid of that country. The people and the governments of Cuba and Iran can make the United States kneel to the ground."

My suggestion to Mr. Segui: Stay in Cuba on your next trip and put your ear to the ground.

Miguel L. Talleda
Torrance

It has been a concern to many people knowing that the Senate confirmation of Otto Reich to the position of Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere has not been decided, specially at these moments when President Bush needs all his cabinet to undertake the difficult task of presiding the War on Terrorism. Many letters are getting to the Senate floor on this subject. The following is a good example:

                                                             -0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 -

To: Senators Joe Biden and Chris Dodd

Re: Mr. Otto Reich's Nomination

Dear Senators:

When President Bush nominated Mr. Otto Reich to the position of Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, his decision was made for the same reasons he selected the rest of his cabinet -- specifically, they were the best people for the job.

Recently, the State Department sent to the Senate a priority list of President Bush's nominees, including Mr. Otto Reich, who incidentally was nominated on July 12. Weeks have passed and still no action has been taken. Mr. Reich still can't get so much as a hearing. I urge you to take a hard look at the reasons for this delay and to rise above any ideological differences, in order to focus on what is truly in the best interest of the United States and its neighbors in the Western Hemisphere.

Indeed, time and again life forces unexpected priorities upon us. September 11 was one of these moments, a time when we need to rethink what is important. For example, when we reflect on the exaggerated, offensive grilling John Ashcroft received prior to the approval of his nomination, it is evident that the concerns voiced against him at that time, now seem quite petty, when compared to the professionalism and efficiency he has demonstrated while carrying out his duties and responsibilities. I would be curious to know how each of the senators, who were present at those hearings, would address the issue of "racial profiling" at this period in time.

Attorney General John Ashcroft is simply one example of President Bush's exercise in good judgment. Now, more than ever, we need Mr. Reich's expertise in the region, to help isolate the real threats to this nation and to help promote freedom and democracy throughout the Western Hemisphere. Terrorism is very much alive in Latin America, with links to Bin Laden and other terrorist groups. Why should we ignore this? Let's not fall asleep at the wheel, now that we have been so crudely awakened.

As a resident of New York City, the September 11 tragedies have certainly underscored how in times of crises, only the Bravest and the Finest deliver. Mr. Otto Reich delivered for President Reagan during the Cold War. Now, I urge you to let him do the same for President Bush.

Kind Regards,

Margarita Talleda

"ALPHA 66 STRONGLY CONDEMNS THE COWARDLY AND CRIMINAL ATTACKS PERPETRATED BY THE INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA"

"Our prayers and thoughts go to the victims and relatives resulting from these murders"

August 2001

WHY WE ARE PROTESTING THE LATIN GRAMMYS
By Miguel L. Talleda

For many people, Cubans included, the Latin Grammys are a reason for pride and joy. It means recognition of our music, our artists, and all those that speak our language and have succeeded in giving the world the gift of our melodies, with their voices and instruments.

But what happened that the Cubans in Miami united once again, as during the Elian Gonzalez saga, and backed by more than 195 organizations, decided to protest the holding of the Latin Grammys in that city? What made them renounce the prestige and financial gain that such an event would bring to their community?

Our sense of dignity is the reason. A small and elite group of artists from Cuba that work closely with the Castro government, in bringing dollars to the regime so that it can continue to oppress our people, has been nominated in various categories to receive the prestigious Grammy.

This was sufficient for the Cubans in Miami to protest. It is a double offense to the men and women whose families are forced to live under a system of abuse and miseries and where many have lost their lives for opposing the terror that reigns in their homeland. To showcase these, Castro cronies at the Latin Grammys deeply offends the patriotic sensibility of each Cuban, that has had to abandon his or her homeland to become an expatriate, because freedom in our country has been hijacked by a bunch of bandits.

When we look at the particulars of why these artists that sing Castro’s praise were included to participate in the Latin Grammys, we find some interesting surprises. Why is it that New York Congressman, Jose Serrano, constant defender of Fidel Castro, was in contact with the leadership of the Latin Grammys, discussing whether or not these should stay in Miami? Was he following instructions from his friend, the tyrant? Why is it that the issue of the Latin Grammys had become a topic for the Round Table, a television program in Havana? During one of those discussions, Jorge Ruiz Rojas nonchalantly said, "I am a member of the jury of the Latin Grammys and for me it has been a pleasure and a stroke of luck". How is possible that people from the Castro government are part of the Latin Grammys? Jorge Luis Rojas must be highly "integrated" in the Communist system, to be allowed to make such comments on Cuban television.

But should we be surprised? Is it not CBS the network selected to cover the event and is this not the same network that has continuously profiled the "gains" of the Castro dictatorship? Isn’t the president of CBS', as the mayor of Miami-Dade, Alex Penelas, has said, a close friend of Fidel Castro? Aren’t the reporters from CBS the ones that admire everything about Castro, while claiming "not to understand" that the Cubans in exile are fighting against Communism? The same reporters that label us extreme right wing, troglodytes, and other insults perpetuated by the Castro government?

Well, fine, the Cubans in Los Angeles will rise to the occasion and will also protest the presence of the Latin Grammys at the old Forum in Inglewood. We will protest against the organizers of this event and their collaboration with the fainting tyrant of Cuba. We will protest against the artists from Cuba, that are coming to try and show the world that in Cuba there is freedom and that they are the proof. Only a few weeks ago, Omara Portuondo, one of the Cuban participants at the Grammys went to Venezuela to celebrate the birthday of Fidel Castro and was seen on television hugging and kissing this ill-fated character.

Our protest will be dedicated to those artists and musicians still in Cuba, that are condemned to obscurity and misery because they will not conform and sing the praises of the regime. These artists are not allowed to travel or to enter into record contracts with any major music label in or out of Cuba. Furthermore, it is these music companies that are behind the collaboration between Castro's government and the Latin Grammys.

As recent proof of this we read in the August 22, 2001 edition of "El Nuevo Herald," in the section "Carta de Cuba," written from Cuba by Juan Uribe, how Jorge Alfonso, a member of the group Los Cubanos has been waiting six years to make a record; and Juan Izaguirre of La Charanga Oriental, who says they would like to play in Miami, but are not given permission because the government only allows travel for those that praise the system. In his letter Juan Uribe goes on to say that Alberto San Juan is a singer that mixes son with rap. He walks the streets of Havana singing his harsh and dangerous lyrics, in which he puts on trial the socialist system. "I don’t know if the Grammys should have stayed in Miami or not", says Alberto San Juan. "Here in Havana there was a rap festival, but only those who praise Fidel could perform. I was not allowed to participate".

The protest against the Latin Grammys at the Forum in Inglewood is an opportunity for not only the Cubans in Miami, but all Cubans that are part of this great Diaspora, to show that we repudiate the partnership between CBS and Michael Greene, president of the Grammys, with the bloody tyrant of the Caribbean.

August 2001

PRINCIPLES SHOULD BE PARAMOUNT
By Miguel L. Talleda

In the 7-15-01 issue of PARADE magazine, that comes every Sunday on hundreds or perhaps thousands of newspapers throughout the nation, in its “Special Intelligence Report” by Lyric Walwork Winik, wrote under the title VENEZUELA’S PRESIDENT PROVOKES WASHINGTON: “Since he came to power in 1998, U.S. officials have felt that Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez was trying to pick a fight. In Beijing recently, he denounced “U.S. Imperialism”; last summer he toured Irak with Saddam Hussein; he’s been cozying up to Castro and trying to get Russia into OPEC. Especially worrisome are reports of meetings with Colombian guerrillas, backed by drug cartels. Now Chavez plans to upgrade Venezuela’s weapons. And the U.S. has little leverage, since we rely on Venezuela for 15% of our oil imports.”

Surprised by this last statement I wrote back to PARADE:

It is important to bring to the attention of the American people that President Chavez is turning Venezuela into a totalitarian communist system, with the guidance and support of Castro’s Cuba. This will have grave consequences for the Venezuelan people and neighboring countries.

But your conclusion that “the U.S. has little leverage, since we rely on Venezuela for 15% of our oil imports” is not only ludicrous but an insult to the champions of liberty, democracy, and human right throughout the world. Do you mean to say that the same American power that took on powerful enemies like Hitler’s Germany and Japan, and that was instrumental in bringing down the Soviet Union and its empire will now sit down and see Latin American countries follow the cruel example of Fidel Castro and subject its people to communist tyranny?

We better wake up. America doesn’t need the nuisance of another Castro and the Venezuelan people do not deserve that kind of punishment.

Four weeks have gone by, and on PARADE magazine no reference to my letter or any kind of explanation or justification has been made. So that means that the sentence—“the U.S. has little leverage, since we rely on Venezuela for 15% of our oil imports” remains the message that the millions of PARADE readers have to take at face value.

Well, we are in a new century, with new technology and people have new forms to communicate their ideas. If the “spike” has been the traditional means to do away with unwanted news or opinions, we now have the Internet, where millions of people are able to reflect on each other’s ideas and statements, such as the one we are referring to – which is detrimental to this great nation.

March 2001

THE STAINED DOLLARS
By David Rodríguez, from Lima, Peru
(Specially for Alpha 66)

Last week it was reported that the company Crowley Liner Services, branch of Crowley Maritime Corp., of Oakland, California, received authorization by the Department of the Treasure of United States to trade with the island; this company won't sell any product, but rather alone it will use its fleet of about 11 ships to transport goods to Cuba. This news has caused a great commotion in the sectors of the denominated exile, economic patriots, which have already begun to use the Internet with absurd articles, trying to corrupt the ideals of those Cubans that believe in liberation, like means to obtain the freedom and the independence in Cuba.

In Cuba we have our great enemy, a fossil tyrant that humiliates, oppresses and murders our people, a tyrant that tries to drown in the depths of its dungeons the screams of valiant women's rebelliousness, worthy inheritors of Mariana Grajales, as it is Maritza Lugo and the thousands of Cuban women that are opposed to the régime.

When seeing such expressions of courage, we cannot avoid that our hearts vibrate of emotion, emotion that is transformed suddenly into disgust and loathing toward those economic patriots that dream already about how to negotiate with Castro and to receive a great slice of dollars, without taking into account that those dollars are spotted with the blood of our people. According to data of the shipping Crowley Liner Services, in the first day of business, the company already had about 60 clients in wait list to ship their products to Havana.

Those clients are the same ones that used the following sentences to justify their true interests and principles in passed days:

“Not because we are democratic we will be prosperous, but if we are independent proprietors of our wealth, then we will be democratic. We have to consider which is the angular stone on which freedom rests. The most important and indispensable bastion to defend the freedom and to assure its perpetuity is not other than the institution of private property, so much in its material form as intellectual. Let us be conscious that democracy doesn't guarantee private property or it recognizes human rights or stimulates economic prosperity. Democracy is a result of prosperity, more than the cause of it. Material private property should be recognized as the true guarantee of freedom and independence, of as other political decisions are carried out. No other measure will give us the true freedom.”

There are many of us who have cried when reading the letter of our courageous sister Maritza Lugo, in which she accuses Castro and its litter of murderous dogs before the world, for the crimes and violations committed every single day against our people and the opposition inside of and outside of their prisons.

In respect to those brave patriots and as a part of our mission and our cause, we should remain alert about who are those that are now trading with Castro; we should never forget that these businesses are the same ones that feed and give strength to the tyrant, so that he could continue enslaving our homeland.

We are sure that the day will come in which God, our People and Justice will seat these murderers and their accomplices on the bench of the accused, where they will be judged with all the force of the Law.

!!! NO to ECONOMIC RELACIONS with CASTRO!!!

!!! YES to FREEDOM and INDEPENDENCE for THE CUBAN PEOPLE!!!

February 2001

We are glad to add to our ALPHA 66 web page this letter/request to present Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet with the Nobel Peace Prize. It fills us with pride and appreciation to know that not only our three distinguished representatives in the U.S. Congress are signers of this request, but that Dana Rohrabacher, Peter Deustch and Christ Smith are also signers.

Dr. Biscet deserves to be recognized as a true believer of liberty and democracy, and is paying the price for his belief in the worst conditions imaginable.

***********************************

January 30, 2001

Mr. Francis Sejersted
Chairman, Nobel Peace Prize Committee
The Nobel Institute
Drammensveien 19 N - 0255
Oslo Norway

Dear Mr. Sejesrted:

We are writing to nominate Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet of Cuba for this year's Nobel Peace Prize. As Members of the U.S. Congress, we strongly believe that he should receive this distinguished honor in recognition of his courageous efforts to promote freedom, democracy and human rights in his homeland. Dr. Biscet is a physician who has dedicated his life to helping his fellow Cubans - a dissident leader and civic activist driven by the firm belief that: "peaceful resistance is God's plan."

Despite being subjected to routine harassment, intimidation, and psychological and physical torture for acts of civil disobedience, Dr. Biscet continues to defend the rights of the Cuban people to live free from oppression. For organizing a peaceful gathering of human rights dissidents and Cubans who honor and believe in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, he was arrested in November 1999 and sentenced to three years in a maximum security prison. When he was being tortured with lit cigarette butts, Dr. Biscet smiled at his aggressor and said: "God loves you."

Dr. Biscet has spent most of the last year in solitary confinement in a small cell devoid of any light or sanitary facilities. He has been denied medical attention for various ailments and infections; has been malnourished to such an extent that he has lost 30 pounds and several teeth; has been denied religious and family visits; and has been repeatedly beaten. These physical restraints, however, have not been able to stifle Dr. Biscet's spirit or stop his work. He continues to be a leading force and the most prominent advocate for freedom and democracy in Cuba.

Dr. Biscet began his dissident activities by creating the Lawton Foundation for Human Rights in 1997, an independent and peaceful humanitarian organization committed to the defense of human rights. He stated that: "To defend the inalienable rights of the human race, we understand the need to put limits on government to prevent the undermining of those rights. It is because of this that we have become activists in this organization - to establish in our country the rule of law, so that each man and woman may be fulfilled as a complete human being." From that moment onward, Dr. Biscet's peaceful opposition to his government's policies and the lack of human rights and political freedoms turned him into a target. Perceived as a growing threat, he was detained and imprisoned 26 times from July 1998 to November 1999.

Dr. Biscet has sacrificed his life fighting against the totalitarian regime that currently rules his homeland. He embodies the ideals of the Nobel Peace Prize. We urge you and your committee to honor his tireless efforts for peace with this award.

Sincerely,

Members of the United States Congress

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Dana Rohrabacher, Chris Smith, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Peter Deustch, Robert Menendez

February 2001

Letters to the Editors is a favorite mean to let our views be known and to attract the attention of most readers. Letters are the common people’s voice, and on multiple occasions an amassing source of wisdom. Alpha 66 members constantly recur to this form of expression for their views. Lets see what the following letters bring:

On LA PRENSA, San Antonio, Texas Bilingual Newspaper – February 4, 2001:

THE PRICE OF MEDICAL SCHOLARSHIPS IN CUBA.
A response to a story from Congressman Rodriguez’ office.
By Dr. Carlos D. Carbonell, M.D.,E.A.C.P.

The same as with other branches of professional activities, medical scholarships offered by the Cuban Communist government has a price: the indoctrination given in a very subtle and skillful way to the students who could attend the Cuban medical school. It is an excellent way to inject into the curricula methodical “brain washing.”

This is an indirect criticism of the United States educational opportunities.

Additionally, those who graduate from that school, which is not classified as acceptable, must serve e the Communist government in different areas of the country. It is interesting that the Communist Party will pay for the tuition and the living expenses of American students.

Dedicated students here can apply for and receive scholarships and continue their studies in Texas. They don’t have to go to Cuba to serve the Communist government, which ignores basic human rights and kills thousands of people because of political reasons.

Graduates also become mouthpieces for the Communist regime. Some Cuban communist physicians in the “gray zone” become useful by visiting several countries to obtain medicines, which are distributed to the select class of Communist Party, to the tourists, but not to the general population.

San Antonio students, beware, do not go to Cuba, don’t become Communists agents in other countries, you have the opportunities here! Maybe you have to work harder.

To my good friend Congressman Ciro D. Rodriguez I say, instead of encouraging our South Texas youth to study medicine in a country ruled by a brutal dictator, you should be fighting to get the necessary funds, so that our students can study in this country, where freedom prevails.

********************************

On the “Daily Breeze” Torrance, California – February 8, 2001

“NEW CUBA” WILL EMERGE AFTER DICTATOR IS GONE
By Oscar Talleda

I am writing in reference to the article “Film recalls Cold War courage” (Perspective page, Jan 26) by Robert E. Thompson. There are many versions of what happened in October 1962, when “mankind teetered perilously at the edge of nuclear war-and possible extinction,” because Nikita Khrushchev and his puppet, Fidel Castro, decided to play a little with war.

In those days I was living in Cuba. We saw many of those ballistic missiles crossing in front of our house near the central highway. The ground would tremble because of the enormous size of the missiles going to a nearby farm.

But we were not afraid. We would laugh because we were accustomed to hearing Castro the clown speaking nonsense on the radio., He was always telling the same old story: “The American invasion is coming. Prepare for war.”

More than 38 years have passed, and yet the same clown, the cruelest and most despicable dictator, is still in Cuba speaking the same trash. As he hurls his insults at the newly elected U.S. president, a task that is undertaken every four years, it can be said that a new story is emerging.

The people of Cuba, the new generation, are fighting against the clown. The jails are full of political prisoners, and everybody wants to breath the fresh air of liberty. Former Soviet leader Khrushchev has already passed, and we are waiting for a new Cuba – a new Cuba without dictators.

November 2000

THE HAUNTING OF A TYRANT
By Cpt. Jose D. Avila

In the mist of strong criticism, Cuba’s dictator has again ventured out of his stronghold. This time he is visiting Panama to attend the X Ibero-American Summit Conference. He should arrive on Friday November 17, just before noon.

Representatives of previous Panamanian governments, like Mr. Ricardo Arias Calderon, have identified the links between Fidel Castro, and Manuel Noriega’s abusive government. Links like the “assistance” provided by Castro, when he sent his experts to teach Noriega’s Defense Forces on the same repressive tactics used in Cuba today. Some tactics which were applied against the Panamanian people, in an effort to silence their cry for free elections and democracy.

One of the most interesting points of Castro’s visit is that his planners have requested on the Panamanian government, that all Panamanian bodyguards, assigned to Castro’s custody, must have the same type of blood as Castro. Hmmmm!, let me guess. Is Cuba running out of blood that he can not bring his own?, or is it that Castro really doesn’t trust the Panamanian people?, or maybe the ghosts of all those he has murdered (over 97,000 at last count) are haunting him, to the point that he sees enemies where ever he goes?

One thing for sure, Alpha 66 shall not rest and other solution shall not be viable, except for the removal of the communist government, that has brought so much pain and suffering to the Cuban people, as well as the Latin-American countries, that have felt the sting of Castro’s emissaries of death.

We call upon the countries represented at this Summit, to accept no more excuses from Castro, when it comes to democracy and human rights for the Cuban people. Do not let Castro attempt to lecture you on the “gains of the Revolutions,” or the “evil of the embargo,” or any of his aging and hollow rhetoric. Let those free Latin-American governments set the pace for the Summit, by urging Castro to bring immediate change to Cuba, social justice for all, freedom as the rest of Latin-America enjoys. Justice will prevail!

October 2000

90 MILLION DOLLARS ARE NOT ENOUGH
By Cpt. José D. Avila

The US Senate yesterday approved a law by which the relatives of three Brothers To The Rescue men, who’s small unarmed Cessnas were shot down by top of the line Cuban Migs in 1996, will receive approximately 90 million dollars, a small amount when you consider that these valuable men, conducting a heroic human effort, tried to identify the small rafts bringing waves of freedom hungry Cubans. These men will never walk on this earth, all because of the wickedness and murderous actions of Fidel Castro’s regime.

Three years ago the courts decided to grant the victim’s relatives the compensation, however the communist government in Cuba hollered, jumped, and went into a frenzy stating that the freezing of the funds, where the compensation was to originate, was illegal, of course, not as illegal as shooting down unarmed Cessnas in international waters.

As before, Castro’s allies in the US will again rally to Castro’s cause, by appearing on international TV, commenting about how terrible this decision will be for the people of Cuba. To them, and to all those who still try to ignore the holocaust perpetuated just 90 miles of the shores of this nation, I say; take a look at the people of Cuba, they are the ones who risk all when they board the same rafts Brothers To The Rescue was attempting to find in that dark day in 1996. The real people of Cuba are the ones who are right now acting against their oppressors. These people, our relatives, are not the ones who are asking for the embargo to be lifted or for relations to be normalized between the US and Castro. They just want to worship God. They just want to have access to the same medical facilities and services as the members of the Communist Party have. They just want to be able to bury their kinfolk with dignity instead of government supplied cardboard boxes. They just want to have access to the areas of Cuba which are now being denied to them simply because they are nationals.

Like before, and like we always will, we will continue to believe in the American system, the one which fights not just for the rights of those oppressed half a world away, but for those who 90 miles from the US are shouting now louder than ever ¡VIVA CUBA LIBRE!

Please join us in our struggle, it is an honorable and just cause, one that can no longer be ignored. Hundreds have already contacted us identifying the many various things that can be done right there where you live, work, or worship. Saying nothing, doing nothing is bidding the devil’s work; Castro’s actions.

August 2000

TO ALL “PADRES” FANS AND THE PEOPLE OF SAN DIEGO IN GENERAL.
By Sergio Mayea, Alpha 66 Comt.

Recently, Larry Lucchino, president of the San Diego “Padres” baseball club with regard to an invitation to visit the island of Cuba stated: ( Jan.6, 2000, the San Diego Union-Tribune) that he was not going because he was recovering from cancer treatment. “The timing was quite unfortunate” Lucchino said. “I’ve been deeply interested personally and professionally in Cuba and wanted to go for quite some time” He said he is interested in having the Padres play the Cuban team at some point in the future.

Now the Pastors for Peace have made public in their internet page that the San Diego Padres, has been sponsoring a trip to Cuba by 11 and 12 year old baseball players from Garberville, California including one 11 year from San Diego.

Mr. Lucchino should concentrate his ideas in a better way, in order to give the “Padres” a better sport quality and leave out these activities to help the perpetuation of the communist regime of Fidel Castro. Every one knows that the system implanted in Cuba for 41 years has committed all kind of crimes, suppressed all liberties and his violation of human rights is the worst in this hemisphere. We believe this tyrannical regime is unworthy of any help by free loving people.

The “Padres” is an institution of which everybody in the area of San Diego is proud off. To take attention away from baseball to promote a communist tyranny is an unforgivable mistake. The “Padres” belong to our people and everyone should be concerned with this turn of events.

We should not follow the example of the Baltimore, Orioles, who have come down from a formidable first class baseball Club to a machine in complete disarray, because their direction instead of spending their efforts in winning games, chooses to fool around with the Castro-communist tyranny. Doesn’t anybody knows of Castro’s jinx? His years in power have shown that any one close to him is attracted by the evil spirits of his sadistic personality..… and pays the price.

We are filing our protest with Mr. Lucchino; with the editor of the San Diego-Tribune sports page and with our representatives in Congress Bob Filner (619-422-5963), Randy “Duke” Cunningham (760-737-8438) and Duncan L. Hunter (760-353-5420) and we urge you to do the same, to save San Diego from such a shameful break of principles.

We believe the people of Cuba have the right to live free, with a free baseball organization, and they will be grateful to you for your concern.

June 2000

OUR HOMELAND
By Miguel L. Talleda
Well, the tragedy is over. Things were taken as far as possible. And in that we have to tip our hat to the efforts of Lázaro and Marisleysis González. They did everything possible, but those who make decisions took away their rights and finally the alliance of the tyrant with those who govern here was triumphant.
But was it capricious to try and prevent that Elián be returned to Cuba? Was there sufficient reason to fight the battle? No, it was not a whim, there was one overwhelming reason. Elián’s mother had lost her life so that he could live free. Free from the horror under which Cubans live in the island. In addition, there was a right that had never before been denied any Cuban who arrived in the United States. Against the principles that delights this nation and which are represented by the Statue of Liberty, a transgression was committed. The young, defenseless Elián was not given the opportunity to seek political asylum. There were more than enough reasons to support such a request. With uncommon rancor he was condemned to be deported, without having committed any crime or representing any danger to this country.
Obviously in the minds of all who intervened on his behalf, during this painful struggle, there was the hope that Elián could one day soon return to a free Cuba, because this is the one right that Cubans in exile have not renounced. Returning to our homeland is a yearning that presses our heart, that crushes our soul and that while it does not cloud our minds, it is present in our everyday lives.
The land where we were born, the one we have told our children about, holds an attraction from which we cannot flee. And this love of our homeland is not unique to Cubans, it is a universal phenomenon, divine if you will, a special quality among human beings, that holds together those who have had to abandon their homeland. There are sufficient examples of this strange love for the homeland, which can be heard time and time again in poetry, expressed through countless songs.
Jorge Negrete sang: " Mexico, beautiful and dear, if I die far from you, let them say I am sleeping and bring me back to you." Also the beautiful Puerto Rican song En Mi Viejo San Juan says: "One day I left for a strange land because destiny called, but my heart stayed by the sea in my Old San Juan". The list of examples of love and nostalgia for the absent homeland is endless.
But no one who knows the tragedy in which Cubans in Cuba live, and who is of sound mind, could wish that Elián go live in the concentration camp that Fidel Castro has created of our homeland. A chapter in this long struggle has closed. It has left us hurt but unshakable. We know which is the way, Alpha 66 has always traced it. The tyranny has no escape. The final triumph will belong to the Cuban people when the light of freedom will shine over the darkness of communism.

May 2000

There is an important task that looks easy, but in reality requires effort, disposition and a sense of duty in front of the tragedy of our home land. It is to be alert and ready to refute in the press, radio or wherever the opportunity shows, everything that tends to confuse the prevalent situation in Cuba.

Now, with the possibility of the deportation of Elian, when furiously has come out the Cuban root in all of us, this is not a task for a few, but a responsibility to be shared by the whole Cuban American community.

The following letter published by the DAILY BREEZE, of Torrance, on May 10, 2000, is a good example of what is to be done:

“Cuban Dictator ought to be tried for his crimes”

Your May 1 editorial, “U.S. must shift its Cuba policy,” stated that Fidel Castro is a tyrant, a dictator and, at 73, not long for this world. His nation is a Communist country of mostly poor people who want a better life and more freedom.

You are correct! The Cuban people want a precious thing: FREEDOM. So the question should be: Can this man provide freedom and a better life for his people if, after 41 years in power, he has demonstrated himself to be an inept leader who has led Cuba to utter ruin? I seriously doubt it!

Jails in Cuba are full of political prisoners, and thousands of Elians are waiting to come to the United States of America. His international debts are enormous. Cuba is on the list of terrorist countries along side Moammar Gadhafi, Saddam Hussein and many others. He is the oldest dictator on earth. He has insulted each of the American presidents, from Eisenhower to William J. Clinton.

Recently, he was condemned as a violator of human rights. He has sent guerrillas in Colombia, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Bolivia. Is he a president or a murderer?

If any justice exist in the world, Fidel Castro will be sent to an international court to be judged for all his crimes.

Oscar Talleda
Torrance

May, 2000

AN ANSWER TO CONGRESSMAN STEVEN KUYKENDALL

Dear Congressman Kuykendall:

I am in receipt of your letter of May 15 regarding my inquiry on the Elian Gonzalez case. I am disappointed to read that you support the actions taken by the Clinton Administration to remove Elian from his Miami relatives. I am not sure your assertion that "most of the courts have supported reuniting Elian with his father" is accurate. The issue before the courts has always been whether Elian should be given an asylum hearing by the INS. The custody issue has not been debated in any court.

I am representative of a sizable Cuban American community that resides in the 36th District. We were appalled by the tactics used by the INS against the Gonzalez family in Miami and strongly condemn their actions. Many in our community view this as a threat to the freedoms we so dearly cherish. After all, it was because of these kinds of tactics that our families fled the totalitarian regime of Fidel Castro.

The Clinton Administration has shamelessly wanted to return Elian to Cuba since he first arrived here. The President's intentions were made clear when even as mediators appointed by Janet Reno were asserting that progress was being made for a peaceful and orderly transfer of custody, a federal swat team removed Elian at gun point threatening the lives of everyone in his home, including other children. We can't help but think that some deal has been struck between President Clinton and the Castro government. Returning this boy to Cuba after his mother gave her life in pursuit of his freedom would be immoral. To have our government be the conduit for this return is even more shameful. I urge you to reconsider your position or at the very least demonstrate some sensitivity to constituents who believe Elian should be given the chance to live in freedom.

Sincerely,

Mariana Gitomer

Torrance, CA 90504

June 1999
AND THE CARNIVAL GOES ON

In the last few years the governments of Latin America have invented all kinds of summits. They began by asking the government of Spain to participate, and for the next one have included the Caribbean countries and Europe. This meeting called “La Cumbre” will take place June 28 and 29, 1999 in a very appropriate place, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, famous worldwide for its exuberant carnivals.

Generally at these summits three subjects are discussed and proclamation is signed which is later thrown into the wastebasket, as an example of a bad joke. These subjects are (1) the consolidation of democracy. (2) respect for human rights and (3) to fight terrorism. The dignitaries for these summits, however, show a lack of character when they allow Fidel Castro to attend as an equal. It is no secret that this man is the worst violator of human rights and a sworn enemy of free elections -the cornerstone of democracy- as well as a self-declared instigator of terrorism. Not only is he known for fomenting terrorism in Africa, but he has confessed with extraordinary cynicism, to be responsible for the bloodshed in this continent, where his perverse embryonic mentality incited civil war on the streets of Uruguay, Argentina, El Salvador, and Nicaragua to name a few. This with the only purpose to impose communist slavery.

A rotten potato always ends up destroying the whole barrel and now we are seeing how democracy in Latin America is beginning to deteriorate. We are seeing the lack of respect for constitutions, the basic foundation that should remain sacred. We are seeing changes made to these foundations by governments that want to stay in power. Can we expect anything different from those who embrace and want to adulate the tyrant? ?

Alpha 66 is very grateful to the group of deputies to the Congress in Brazil, headed by Leal Varella, Marcos Cintra and Ricardo Izar, for having sent to the Chief of States participating in this summit a formidable protest, for the presence of Fidel Castro. The title of their document is “Communist Cuba-a strident dissonance at Rio de Janeiro’s CUMBRE.” If they don’t pay attention to this protest by the Brazilian Deputies, we shall see the distinguished dignitaries fraternizing with the tyrant responsible for the misery, crimes and calamities of a beautiful country in the Caribbean. And the Carnival goes on…!

July 1999
TIME MAGAZINE’S ICONS.

The famous TIME Magazine made its analysis of the most important people or events of the Twentieth Century. As a whole, it hit the nail on the head, but not totally within its proper perspective. In the case of Ernesto “Che” Guevara, the myths and the fiction of fables were more powerful than the facts. But since it is difficult to reach the pages of TIME with any clarification that could shed light on the issue, we provide the following letter that was sent to the magazine, but remained unpublished.

TIME Inc.
Rockefeller Center
New York, NY 10020-1393

Dear Editor:

I am writing in reference to your article “Che Guevara,” from the “Heroes and Icons of the 20th Century” edition. By Ariel Dorfmans account, one would believe that Guevara is in line to be canonized. Many are mislead to believe the imaginative fictions spun about “the generous Che who tended wounded enemy soldiers,” however the true history has not yet been written. When communism breaths its last oppressive breath in Cuba, good old Che will not be hailed as a hero, nor will he remain unblemished as he is today.

In Cuba it is no great secret that Che was escorted from “La Sierra Mountains” to “El Escambray Mountains” in the province of Las Villas, without engaging in any combat. His participation in the guerrilla campaign is at best a gross misrepresentation. Guevara was appointed by Castro as Mayor of a fortress, “La Cabaña,” in Havana. There, with his henchmen, he cruelly participated in firing squads that murdered thousands of innocent Cuban citizens. Where was the generous Che then? In reality, Guevara was a failure. He failed when he was appointed President of Cuba’s National Bank. He failed as Minister of Industries. He failed in Africa, and finally in Bolivia.

The real Guevara was cruel, rancorous, and full of hatred, not quite what the new and improved version will have you believe. He spoke of the “New Man”, but he could not even transform himself. In time the truth will inevitably seep out, and people will discover that Ernesto Guevara was no saint, nor is he worthy of any homage.

Sincerely,
Oscar Talleda

June 1999
A CLARIFYING BOOK
By Miguel Talleda

A book has just been published entitled THE COST OF THE IDEAS. It is written by Jorge Aguilar who, while still in Cuba, came to the conclusion that socialism was nothing more than a big farce and joined groups that denounce human rights violations. As a Delegate of the Democratic Solidarity Party, in Pinar del Rio, he had the opportunity to give several interviews to reporters and radio stations outside the country, until 1995 when he was granted political asylum in the United States.

Spanning 219 pages, THE COST OF THE IDEAS is a detailed interview from inside Cuba with Mr. Jesús Yánez Pelletier, ex-captain of the Fidel Castro’s personal guards, who now acts as vice-president of the Pro-Human Rights Committee in Cuba. Several pages also contain recently taken photographs from within the island.

Soon after his appointment in January 1959, however, Yánez Pelletier understood that Castro’s regime was being converted into a true communist tyranny, personally directed by a Commander full of ambition and hate. This cost Yánez Pelletier 11 years in prison.

In pages 157 and 158, the book reads as follow:

Aguilar: The help given to Fidel Castro by foreign organizations like Pastors for the Peace, is routed to different uses. Most of these donations are sold in dollars by the Cuban government to their network of commercial businesses. The proceeds from these sales are used to strengthen the regime’s power. Very little of this assistance actually reaches the people. The greatest amount of this humanitarian help is really used by the government as a vehicle of political propaganda.

Yánez Pelletier: That is very serious. Those pastors are no more than elements of Castro’s propaganda that, as we all know, is very powerful. One morning, a woman who lives nearby showed up with her nose destroyed by a punch delivered by one of the members of the State Security, after she protested about the vigil conducted by those "individuals" in front of the United States Interest Section in Cuba. She asked: “Why don’t you conduct a vigil for the freedom of the political prisoners in Cuba?” They nearly killed her.

I honestly tell you that those Pastors for Peace are no pastors. How could they allow the beating of a woman who only wanted to express her feelings? They are not Pastors for Peace, but instruments of propaganda used by the Castro regime.

Aguilar: All of the propaganda received by those men, laid out of course by the tyranny, is turning against them. Now the people repudiate those individuals.

Yánez Pelletier: It’s because the pastors are not what they claim to be.

Here is the information contained in the book, THE COST OF THE IDEAS, about the so called "Pastors for the Peace," who in their game of cooperation with the Cuban communist regime, had the nerve to file legal charges against ALPHA 66. Trial is pending in court in San Diego, California.

February 1999

THE IMPORTANCE OF CHARACTER IN HISTORY

The line of conduct of ALPHA 66 does not leave any doubts. The butcher has to be destroyed. There should be no escape for him. The Pope came and for some people it was the last hope to have a peaceful solution to the Cuban situation.

But the Cuban people knew better. They know that they have to get rid of the traitor and his henchmen. In front of the Pope, in a loud voice, and in the presence of the tyrant, they shouted: WE WANT LIBERTY. At the same time the people intensified their clandestine operations, by showing their dissatisfaction with graffiti and continued sabotages against the sugar production and other factories. They have scared the authorities with their many protests. In addition, the growing independent journalistic movement is bravely informing the outside world about the abuses of the usurpers.

In fear and dismayed in confronting a movement which is multiplying, Castro raised the salaries of the police, hoping that they regain a will that is beginning to falter, in view of a people ready to start a new revolution. And as if the laws were not already abusive enough, Castro called on his puppet, National Assembly, to raise the prison terms for those sentenced for political reasons and to reestablish, officially, the firing squads.

A question that is on everyone’s mind is whether the democratically elected Presidents of Latin America will go to Cuba to celebrate with this super assassin his latest abusive conduct. Will the King of Spain, for example, demean his royal status by appearing in Havana as if nothing has happened? Fortunately history is vigilant. If there is something a public man must be careful about is his character in the face of difficult situations. To appear as the accomplice to the destruction of people, even if this is only in the simple act of raising a glass for a toast or salutation, will result in a great stigma. Anyone doubting this assertion only needs to look back in history, to see the many that were left demoralized for showing poor character in the face of difficult situations.

The U.S. State Department has once more set forth rules to show flexibility in its relations with the communist regime of Fidel Castro. With these changes, they pretend to distinguish Castro's mentality from the ruinous totalitarianism he imposed on the Cuban people. This is a misconception.

Over and over the declarations for years by the totalitarian power that runs the country has emphatically reiterated that they are not going to make any change and that the "Socialism or Death" system will never be abandoned. Repression will continue at the same rhythm. Castro takes any concession in favor of the Cuban people as a victory for him and what results is an increase in the repession and abuse of the opposition, of dissidents and of the defenders of human rights.

The only way to bring democracy to Cuba is to continue with internal actions against the government and preparing the people for a popular revolt. That is the road that ALPHA 66 and its freedom fighters inside Cuba are taking. Those who think that the people inside Cuba are absent from this struggle against the tyranny are mistaken. Minorities are getting ready for combat and the people are taking a militant position on diverse activities. ALPHA 66 has always been on this road to liberation and will continue its heroic endeavors until we can join the uprising of the people. We have done it before and will continue until Cuba is liberated.

There is no alternative for a democratic change with Fidel Castro or his oppressive regime. Democracy is a very definite concept. Democratization on the other hand is just a word adapted for political plots and coexistence with Castro. The real watchword is Liberation; Democracy will undoubtedly follow.

Andres Nazario Sargen, General Secretary
Diego Medina Hernández, M.D. Press Secretary
Hugo Gascon Gongora, Financial Secretary