Odds and ends
- The Herald writes about Senator McCain refusing a meeting with the Cuban American National Foundation that the Foundation tried to arrange alongside a fundraiser in New Orleans. Judging from the article, the action resulted in lost donations, and the McCain camp went on to attack the Foundation; it’s a “fairly irrelevant” group, according to a McCain spokeswoman.
- The number of joint ventures with foreign investors in Cuba has dropped from 258 to 234 since the end of 2005, Reuters reports, citing testimony given in Cuba’s legislature. Officials say that investment flows have increased as the number of businesses has dropped, but no figures on that were released. There are 24 joint ventures with Venezuela.
- El “nuevo huevo grande:” China’s news agency reports that a gallina guantanamera has hatched the biggest egg in the world, 171 grams. She survived.
- The historic center of the city of Camaguey, founded 1528, has been designated a world heritage site by UNESCO.
- The U.S. Interests Section hosted a videoconference on Monday between Willy Chirino and fans; they talked music and politics. El Nuevo Herald report here, Sun-Sentinel report here.
- Al-Jazeera’s English service did a long piece on the politics of Miami in the presidential election (YouTube here). The anchor seemed frustrated that he couldn’t just make a speech into the camera to link the plight of the Palestinians to the Cuba debate. So he took it out on his interviewees, Joe Garcia and Ramon Saul Sanchez, both very patient guys.
Not a good indicator of the organizational coherence of the McCain campaign. These freelancing low-level subordinates are going to do him in if he doesn't put the kibosh on this sort of thing quick.
ReplyDeleteCuban American National Foundation are indeed very relevant.
ReplyDeletewhat isn't relevant are the old farts, who haven't been to cuba in 30 years, in calle ocho. Frankly, I may know cuba better than them at this point.
They just remember 'the old days',which will never return.
Honestly neither group, CANF nor Cuban Liberty Council are relevant in the way la Fundacion used to be. Mas Canosa used to be able to mobilize the community in a way that no one can now. This was in part due to the character of the man but also those were very different times. It is easy for many to forget that his influence was waning in certain respects and that he came under heavy criticism for courting Democrats.
ReplyDeleteWhere CANF deserves credit is in acknowledging in word and deed that the future of Cuba is to be made by the Cubans from the island. CLC doesn't really believe that.
Al-Jazeera deserves credit for doing a long piece like that and asking tough questions. If a central question was why does a small minority view get to dominate important aspects of US foreign policy, Jewish-Americans is an obvious comparison to Cubans. Garcia acknowledged that reality. Reporters asking tough questions of exile leaders ought to be applauded, not mocked.
ReplyDeleteThe reaction to McCain's slip up ought to be really interesting. It might be the help Obama needed in Florida.
leftside is back????
ReplyDeleteANonymous wrote:
ReplyDelete"leftside is back????"
Yes sir, bad weeds never die. They always return no matter how much pesticide one applies to them.