The weather is not cooperating. High winds, forecasts of seven-foot seas, and mechanical difficulties have intruded on the plan of Cuban American groups to mark Human Rights Day by taking a flotilla of vessels to an area off Cuba’s north shore to set off fireworks this evening, ostensibly to be seen by people ashore, 12.5 miles away.
Undaunted, the flotilla got under way, three hours late, with three or four vessels only. Estimated time of arrival: 6:30 p.m.
To follow it, follow the tweets of the Herald’s Juan Carlos Chavez from aboard the Sea King. His story in today’s El Nuevo has a video interview with organizer Ramon Saul Sanchez.
Earlier notes on this here.
Update 12/11: Who knew? Fireworks can be seen from 12 miles away, and they were last Friday night even in less-than-ideal weather conditions. An AP crew went to the Malecon to report the story and got roughed up by a government gang; story here and AP video below. El Nuevo’s story, written by Juan Carlos Chavez aboard one of the vessels, is here.
Flotilla fireworks seems silly to me, particularly for all of the media attention it has received. To me it smells as desperation on the part of the exiles to 'do something'. They need, I suspect, reasons to spend our tax payer monies. If they think dorky stuff like this makes a difference, they haven't been to Cuba in decades.. Wait, they probably haven't.
ReplyDeleteThat said, the pictures do make the firworkds look prettier than I imagined.