Odds and ends
- Governor Richardson made clear yesterday that he is in Cuba on his own, not as an Obama Administration envoy, but he will report his impressions to the Administration when he returns. He also wants to see an end to travel restrictions: “There’s a link between Hemingway and the United States and Cuba, and now there’s a New Mexico link…I think enhancing cultural and artistic and educational ties is a prelude to diplomatic and commercial ties. It always happens that way…I’m for enhanced tourism travel for Americans.” AP coverage here.
- The Obama Administration fines an Australian bank 7 million Australian dollars for trade financing operations connected to transactions with Cuba and other countries subject to U.S. sanctions.
- El Nuevo Herald has a video in Spanish on yesterday’s poll (pdf) on the Juanes concert. It features remarks by the pollster, Sergio Bendixen, and the poll’s sponsor, Carlos Saladrigas of the Cuba Study Group.
- Livan Hernandez returns to the Washington Nationals and has a good outing against the Cubs.
- A short, silent video of 1932 Havana at Penultimos Dias.
Havana in 1932 looks cleaner, more sophisticated, more modern than it does in 2009. Gee, I wonder what happened in the interim?
ReplyDeletechingon
Gov.Richardson's visit to Cuba is yielding underwhelming results: no meeting with Raul Castro (who just met with the former President of Panama) or with Fidel Castro (who just met with a bunch of Venezuelan lawyers and with Pastors for Peace). We should conclude that the Cuban govenrment does not want to engage.
ReplyDeleteVecino de NF
take the hint from the video chingon -- short and silent. only a maroon like you would post such nonsense.
ReplyDeleteand vecino puts his strange twist on richardson's visit -- if it doesn't meet his standards its a failure. do you have inside information on exactly what was said. or more importantly, do you have any insight into low level negotiations and where they might lead. why are you so adamant to show his visit has been a failure? nevermind, we all know. and your opinion that the cuban govt doesn't want to engage is just that opinion.
Anonymous August 27, 2009 11:17 AM,
ReplyDeleteAny visit by a significant personality to Cuba that does not result in a meeting with Raul Castro or Fidel Castro means that that personality did not meet with the primary decision makers on the topic of engagement with the US. So far Gov. Richardson has met with non-decision makers influential as they may be. Personally I am on record saying that I want normalization of Cuba-USA relations. It is disappointing not to see any movement on that front. If the Cuban government want to engage, we would have seen less tourism and more high levels meetins. A waste of a trip for a very important pesonality!
Vecino de NF
Someone on this board inquired about whether Pánfilo was truly arrested and sentenced to 2 years in jail because he spoke out in front of a TV camera about the dire hunger in Cuba. If you are interested in joining the campaign to free him for expressing his most basic need, follow the link.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.elnuevoherald.com/ultimas-noticias/story/527718.html
NLNR
if he is in jail just for saying he's hungry then the cuban govt should be condemned. just make sure it's true, not just because nuevo herald says so.
ReplyDeletesaw the CNN report on cuban toilet paper shortage. same misinformation, distortions and outright lies. this is what they call news on CNN now? thank god there's no shortage in USA with idiots like that who are so full of sh.t
Anonymous August 27, 2009 12:49 PM,
ReplyDeleteMr. Juan Carlos González Marcos (Pánfilo) was jailed under the criminal dangerousness statute of the Cuban criminal code. This statute allows to jail someone because they are considered likely to commit a crime. It's sort of a non-technological savvy "Minority Report" statute. Apparently Mr. González Marcos was the local neighborhood alcoholic althougth some reports have listed him as a Cuban Special Forces veteran.
On your other point, there is no toilet paper shortage in Cuba, right?
Vecino de NF
si habia toilet paper en cuba antes yo nunca lo vi
ReplyDeletepero estoy muy pero muy cansado de escuchar la misma mierda de Uds. cada dia
si no hay papel de bano yo echo la culpa a los dos gobiernos, y de ningun lado uds. los cubanos que estan sufriendo necesitan cambio pero no como uds. los locos cubanitos viejitos piensan.
Anonymous August 27, 2009 6:08 PM,
ReplyDeletePor favor explica que cambio necesitan "los cubanos que estan sufriendo" y quienes son esos cubanos.
Please explain what change is needed by "the Cubans that are suffering" and who are those Cubans?
Vecino de NF
Anonymous August 27, 2009 6:08 PM,
ReplyDeleteOtra pregunta si me permite: Quienes son "los locos cubanitos viejitos"?
Another question if I may: Who are "the crazy old little Cubans"?
Vecino de NF
Even if Bill Richardson does not meet with Raúl or Fidel Castro, he has made two valuable personal contacts: National Assembly prexy Ricardo Alarcón and Dagoberto Rodríguez, the Deputy Foreign Minister and chief negotiator on immigration matters. If Richardson manages to meet with Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla before returning to the U.S., so much the better. But a door has been opened for some backstairs diplomacy, it seems to me.
ReplyDeleteIs there a timing connection with Bill Richardson impromptu visit to Cuba and the determination by the Obama administration not to further probe the corruption allegations against him, such that he would be out of the country when the news broke? Just asking?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE57R0KS20090828
NLNR
oye mi hermano lo cubanos que estan sufriendo necesitan qualquier tipo de cambio. estan listo para cualquier cosa!
ReplyDeleteMy friend the Cubans who are suffering are ready for any type of change!