From: julio@upenn5.hep.upenn.edu (Julio Gonzalez)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.latin-america
Subject: Re: Human Rights in Cuba
Date: 3 Jan 93 17:16:51 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Pennsylvania

In article <20672@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu>, ez000281@hamlet.ucdavis.edu writes:

>> The fear of USA intervention is real.
> 
> This is ludricous! In Cuba, layment do not fea the U.S., they risk their lives 
> simply to come here (e.g., the Recent Cubana de Aviacion incident and the 
> thousands of refugeess floating in tire tubes across the Florida straight).  
> The equivlent of Chile's DINA in Cuba is the Ministry of Interior, who 
> sporadically organizes mobs to beat up human rights dissidents or dissapear 
> them as well.  Simply ask for the Amnesty International Reports.  Better yet, 
> if you want one, simply reply to this posting and I'll send you one. Hence, the 
> analogy of Chileans fear of Pinochet with the Cubans fear of the U.S. has no 
> empirical basis.
>
   You offer is well taken. I'm actually a member of Amnesty International.
   All reports on Cuba are related to harassment of oposition figures by
   goverment organized groups. I have not seen anything about people being
   "disappeared". I have also read about people suffering unjust imprisonment.
   By the way the infamous DINA was replaced by the CNI.

> >    What is the real power of Castro in Cuba? I have seen a video
> >    on PBS about Cuba and he appeared there. He is very charismatic
> >    and intense. Also seemed to be revered, what is not good. Still
> >    I get the impression he could be like the King of Spain.
> 
>   As to the analogy between Castro and the King of Spain, you must 
> not forget that the King does not yeild executive power other than being the 
> overseer of the state (a kind of sitting grandpa who runs nothing). 

    Anybody knows which are the constitutional powers of Fidel ?
> 
> 
> >     Even more horrifying, suppose that there is a severe weakening
> >    of the goverment structure in Cuba. Fascism could easily retake
> >    control of the Island. We would have another Haiti, or El Salvador.
> 
> Thanks for confessing that you are also one of those who believe that the ends 
> (the defense of the "revolution")  justifies the means (Castro's dictatorship). 

    I do not defend the "revolution" neither the present Cuban goverment. 
    I'm just drawing conclusions from my own experience. What I have seen
   is the destruction of a nationalistic goverment in Guatemala, death
   squads killing under USA support. I have seen corrupted governments
   that worry about keeping a minority in power while the general populations
   have no access to education neither opportunities to better themselves.
    I have seen the USA invading LatinoAmerica anytime it pleases them.
    How many people are you willing to kill to allow "democracy" to come back
   to Cuba. In Chile that amounted to 2000, and for millions that 'democracy"
   means  to not have access to a good education. Means to be treated unfairly
   only because one is not white or doesn't come from a "good" family.

>  As to "facism" in Cuba, I suggest you read the latest "constitutio" written up 
> by Castro, and see how he now considers his government to be "nationalist and 
> socialist" at the same time.  The last government on earth that did this was 
> that of Adolf Hitler.  

    This is absolutely preposterous. To be nationalist and socalist does not
   mean to be national-socialist or nazi.  Don't forget many followers of
   marxists ideas are liberal jews. Are you telling me that Cuba's constitution
   institutes hatred against minorities ?  Does it discriminate against 
   homosexual individuals ?  The closest to nazism I have recently heard
   was Buchanan's speech at the Republican convention. To be nationalistic
   for leftist has usually meant Latinoamerica for the latinoamericans, contrary
   to the USA doctrine that reads Latinoamerica for the gringos. 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.latin-america