This guest column is from the blog of Ivan Garcia, an independent journalist who lives and writes from Havana, Cuba. Thanks to our new cooperative translation site, Hemos Oido, we are now able to call on a growing cast of volunteers to translate Cuban blogs for English-speaking readers, greatly expanding the voices my readers can hear from on this page.
Farinas, Ready to Die, Like Zapata
By Ivan Garcia
In the poor, out-of-the-way neighborhood of La Chirusa, in the city of Santa Clara of Villa Clara Province, about 185 miles east of Havana, Guillermo Farinas Hernandez, 48 years of age, is quite a character.
When a stranger, asking for directions, asks where Guillermo Farinas lives, all of the neighbors widen their eyes and don't know who you are talking about. But if you ask about "Coco"- the nickname by which he is known - then people smile and say "Coco lives in number 615, he's into human rights, he's a ballsy guy, give him my regards," one of his neighbors says with the straightforward language that is common among humble people.
To get to the small, cramped house of Farinas you have to walk through a maze of passageways where the sewage runs freely. Guillermo Farinas lives in an early 20th century house, with his wife, 8-year-old daughter, and a niece. In a ten-foot-square living room, Farinas is seated in a chair against the wall, facing the front door, wrapped up in a flowered blanket.
About 15 people, relatives and dissidents, chat with him about various issues. Some become emotional and break into silent weeping. "That affects me even more, please, you've got to be strong," says "Coco" without any solemnity.
Farinas must have some sort of unofficial world record when it comes to hunger strikes. The one he started on Friday, February 26 is his 23rd. And it is taking a toll on his body.
Like many dissidents, 'Coco' Farinas used to believe in Fidel Castro's revolution. He risked his hide fighting in the isolated villages of Angola during the 1980s civil war in that African country. He was a member of Castro's elite troops, but in 1989 when General Arnaldo Ochoa was shot, accused of drug trafficking, Farinas began to have second thoughts and unanswered questions.
He has a degree in psychology, and better than anyone else in Cuba, he knows the methods of the political police for breaking those who dissent. Since 1997 this big-eyed mestizo has been one of the heavyweight dissidents on the island.
He writes as a freelance journalist, and an independent library is located in his house. During the strike, many neighbors come by and talk cheerfully with Farinas, giving him encouragement or begging him to stop. To everyone he delivers a speech, without slogans and in everyday language, giving his reasons for continuing the hunger strike. The main reason for this latest and perhaps final hunger strike: the death of the dissident Orlando Zapata Tamayo on February 23rd.
"I knew him in 1991, when Zapata was a construction worker in a contingent, and was also a member of the Union of Young Communists, something that the government journalists are silent about now that they criticize him. Zapata was part of the rapid response brigades that the government counted on to repress the opposition, but after long talks with the dissidents he began to see that he was wrong. The official media don't want to talk about any of this. I'm also convinced that the death of Zapata was a state crime, an assassination."
The dissident of the Chirusa neighborhood in the city of Santa Clara adds other arguments for continuing his hunger strike to the very end.
In a letter sent on February 26 to Raul Castro, he urges him to demonstrate to the world and to his people that his lament to the foreign media was honest, and asks him to release the 200 political prisoners now held in various Cuban jails.
"I am a firm believer that when the government sees that the result of the hunger strikes is dissidents dying like flies, they will sit down and negotiate. These strikes are our weapons of pressure, we have nothing else."
He also asks the Spanish leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to firmly press the Havana regime to introduce political changes. He even believes that His Majesty the King of Spain Juan Carlos I should comment on the fateful death of Zapata Tamayo.
Farinas receives medical attention every 4 hours. He believes that he will be admitted to the provincial hospital of Villa Clara Arnaldo Milian to receive parenteral alimentation. His lips are dry, as he is not drinking water. His appearance is frightening. Juan Juan Almeida, son of the commandante friend of the Castros, who fought with them in the Sierra Maestra, left Coco's house greatly saddened last Saturday.
In a text message Juan Juan sent to his friends, he said:
"The dissident of the barrio La Chirusa, professed admirer of Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, figures beyond right and wrong, believes this is the way to turn the state around and to dream of democracy. 'If I must sacrifice my life to achieve political change, then count on my life,' the Cuban champion of hunger strikes states quietly. This is number 23 and his neighbors and friends suspect this will be the last."
Translated by Tomas A. and Gracie Christie
Yoani's blog, Generation Y, can be read here in English translation.
Follow Yoani Sanchez on Twitter: www.twitter.com/yoanisanchez
"Yes, I can die. The time has come for the world to realize that this government is cruel. There are moments in the history of a country when there must be martyrs," Fariñas told El Pais.
Fariñas is professed admirer of Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. Gandhi engaged in several hunger strikes for the independence of India, and he succeeded.
In “Gandhi's Letters to a Disciple” he writes, “Under certain circumstances, fasting is the one weapon God has given us for use in times of utter helplessness.” Gandhi felt strongly that fasting and political action was inseparable.
The best book I have found about Stalinism is “Stalin” (1949) by Isaac Deutscher. As regards Cuba, the arguments of the apologists notwithstanding, I find rigid authoritarianism and a lack of democracy within and without the Cuban Communist Party. Despite the fact that Kruschev denounced the “excesses” of Stalin in 1956 neither he nor Brezhnev et al repudiated the basic authoritarian structure. Now it follows from this that it would be extremely unlikely for the USSR to heavily subsidize Cuba if the Cuban government did not share their basic “Stalinist” structure.
For further reading I suggest Leonard Shapiro’s “The Communist Party of the Soviet Union”and of course “My Life” by Trotsky
If I am wrong and democracy is flourishing in Cuba please let me know. A blog does not democracy make. Wake up America!
Let’s start with fascism: “ 1 a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition
2 : a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control.”
Let me add to Webster’s definition by saying that one of the important constituent elements of fascism (as experienced in Nazi Germany and Italy) is that the means of production (factories, etc.) remain firmly in the hands of CAPITALISTS. Since it seems clear that Cuba exercises state control over large enterprises we can stop calling the Cuban regime fascist.
Socialism: “1: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods
2 a : a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b : a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state.
Regarding Cuba, it appears that the government administers the means of production, and so we can call Cuba socialist. Please note that this definition refers to economic relations and says nothing of political structure.
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/tg273.htm
I support peace, prosperity, education,health and personal liberty to all people in every country.I believe that the planned,just administration of production and resources is possible if it would only be allowed to develope. Popular democracy was destroyed by the wealthy elite in Honduras because they could not accept rule of majority. The US was complicent in this by thier inaction. Now 70% of Hondurans are still in poverty and the elite will be very careful who they allow to run for office in the future. These people have no health care,no education, no cellphones. They have a choice to work or starve. Poverty robs them of their dignity and their human rights. Now I'm going to enjoy a Cohiba and a Cubita. Cuban coffee is the best in the world!
What the hell has to do Honduras with the campaign to give cellphone to Cubans in order to break castrofascism criminal blockade of information???????
Anyway I agree with you with this.....I support peace, prosperity, education,health and personal liberty to all people in every country.I believe that the planned,just administration of production and resources is possible if it would only be allowed to develope...... and I would add...... to increase the creation of richness in order to enhance the possibility of create welfare is a duty of all government and societies .......
I like socialism my friend but the real one..... castrofascism is just that, fascism pure and clean.......
The Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Margaret Chan.
Cuba the only country in the Western Hemisphere with free universal healthcare l care and free education.
despite all the efforts of U.S. and Cuban rightwing lobby
That's a fact.
Perhaps those who are embittered by Cuban people's sucsss should use Cuban model to improve the appalling health care and education standards in many a Miami neighborhood.
Yes, Cuba is the only country in Western Hemisphere with free universal health care and education since 1948 and it is so despite the effort of castrofascism for showing those old victories of Cubans as own. Castrofascism inherited this wonderful free and perfectly working health and education system and destroyed them in the same why it destroyed all industries Cubans built along 600 years.
Today Cuba is economically a country one little step ahead Haiti, politically is the poorest country in the world with a dictatorship of 51 years, ideologically the country traveled from a special form of tropical socialism before castro to fascism today, socially the country is destroyed with 20% of the population living out the country with no right to residence in the country, morally castrofascism transformed Cuba into the main sex tourism destination in the world, sex tourism not only for normal tourists but for pedophiles too.
gee... what a difficult choice... not.
By the way..... WHO is the source of information that you can use for learn about Cuba's pre-castro free and universal health system......... compare this ancient system and you will find that castrofascism has added nothing in 50 years what in historical terms minds a destruction of the system.
Be right informed and you will be better person..... a person without the macula of been fascism defender.
If I were to smuggle 100,000 cellphones into the United States and modify them to use a mobile network without paying for it, I would be breaking the law. If I did it with the intent of disrupting the US government or interfering with the US economy I would be breaking even more laws.This is exactly the kind of destabilizing interference from the Miami exile community that Cuba has been protesting against both to the United States and the United Nations for years.
Not only capitalism would sell to its executors the rope they will use to hang it..... castrofascism too!!!!!
Cubans in the island earns 0.50 cents a day as average, this is not enough for buying cellulars and paying accounts. Then, castrofascism partners get mad.... "How the hell will we get back our inversions if we do not have a market for exploitation" - they yell- Capitalists menaces to pick up theirs equipments and technicians and break off the deal about development of a Mobil telephony net in Cuba necessary for the good function of the business of all others capitalists that helps castrofascism to enslave Cuban people and by the way helps them to keep the power........ then castrofascism says -"Don't worry dear capitalist, we will solve this problem, we will go to find Cubans that can afford our prices and help us get back our inversions and even get profit...... we will find those Cubans in Miami"-
That's the tryst reality, dear agent, no Yankee or "Gusanos" conspiracy involved in this case but clean and pure capitalism "modus operandi"............
By the way....... do you really think that to give peoples the right of free information is a bad thing???.... Do you really believe that the cuban people has to be kept in total ignorance about what happen in his land and the rest of the world????....... Why????
Or you could try out the wonders of Capitalist Haiti. I'm sure they have no restrictions on information over there.
Ask Chileans commies that moved to Cuba flying Pinochet, 11.000 of them moved to Cuba thinking castrofascism was socialism..... I will pay you $1000 for each one you find in Cuba.... all them left Cuba after experimented castrofascism...... all them left Cuba in less than a year........... Bah!!!
The return of Miami i refuges to power in Cuba will result total destruction of superlative Cuban health care.
There could be question about it. This is beyond debate.
If Miami immigrates and bourgeois liberals have their way in Cuba, the medical care and education will resemble Miami barrios and Haiti.
Statistically, Cuba has one of the most effective health care systems in the WORLD, not just in Latin America. They have lower than average infant mortality rates and higher than average life expectancy.
Your hatred of the ideology of the Cuban system is no excuse for such rampant ignorance. Find a more effective (and truthful) reason to criticize the Cuban Revolution.
http://www.ecuadorciencia.org/images/medicina/hospitales-cuba-catres.jpg
http://www.therealcuba.com/kubac298.jpg
hmmmmm....
It is a complete delusion to think that over the last 50 years the US government has cared anything about human-rights abuses in Cuba or anywhere else. When it is convenient we use “human-rights” as a club to beat our enemies. Meanwhile, the US invades a sovereign nation (tens of thousands die) under the obviously false pretext of finding WMD, when really pecuniary motives prevail. Meanwhile, we “rendition” people without trial to “black holes” to be tortured.
I am not an apologist for the Castro regime. They are old-school Stalinists with all that entails. However, it was our enmity and sanctions which drove Castro into the arms of the USSR in the first place. And it is the sanctions which allow the Stalinists to blame all their problems on the US. This only serves to maintain their grip on power. Wake up America!
http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/us-cuba/gardner-smith.htm
To be continued......
To be continued.....
Lowest in Western hemisphere.
U..S. infant mortality rate, --- 7.2 per 1,000..
Haiti infant mortality rate 76 deaths per 1,000
If the the Miami refugees come back to power, Cuban medical care will be more like Haiti. This is beyond question.
So, this infantile mortality rates are just the result of an horrific crime........
How can you think that a country where everything is secrecy and fake, where 30 patients in a psychiatric hospital dye of hunger and cold, where public health care is almost nonexistent, can maintain such figures without cheating ????????
What you believe are castrofascism achievements are ancients victories of democratic Cuba before castro and Batista. Most social laws about free and universal health care and education, 44 hours work week, free and paid maternity time (1 year), etc.... were approved between 1933 and 1955...... "To be cultivated to be free" said Cuba's national hero Jose Marti...... run my son, run to history class you need it urgently to be free!!!
1959 cuban population 6 millions, today 12 millions
1959 annual income of each cuban 1200 pesos and the exchange rate peso/dollar was 1/1
Today annual income of each cuban 2000 pesos and the exchange rate 28/1. A worker annual income is today 71 dollars!!!!
1959 there were 3.5 telephone lines per 100 people, today 15 lines per 100 people,
1959 the country generated 450 w per person, today 75 w
1959 the caloric consumption per person were 2800 cal, today 1100 cal
1959 each cuban bough 59-76 pounds/year of meat, today 5 pounds/year.
1959 47 eggs per person/year, today 13 eggs per person/year
1959 12 pound chicken per person/year, today 5
1959 38 cars per 1000 inhabitants, today 10
1959 one urban bus per 300 inhabitants, today one bus per 25.000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1959 one interurban bus per 2000 inhabitants, today one per 35.000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1959 66 TVs per 1000 cubans, today 15 per 1000
1959 one doctor per 950 cubans, today one per 740
1959 one dentist per 2100 cubans, today one per 1850
1959 Cuba had 6.000.000 cows, today 1.800.000
Unemployment 1959 = 2.8%, today = 35%
1957 Cuba had the lowest inflation rate in America 1.8%, today 28%
Cubans had free health care and education long before Castro.
To be continued.............
Let's hope not.
Cuba was country # 3 according monetary consolidation because its gold stocks.
Cuba had the lower inflation in Latin America with only1.4%. Mexico was the medium with 7.8, Bolivia the higher with 63 %.
Cuba’s working class got one of the higher salaries in the WORLD according national Income.
1.- England 74%
2.- USA 71.1 %
3.- Canada 68.5 %
4.- Cuba 66 %
5.- Switzerland 64.4%
Cuba with 0.86 cattle/inhabitant was in 8th place in Latin America.
Cuba’s meet production was 95 pounds per inhabitant, third behind Argentina and Uruguay
Cubans consumed 5.6 pounds of fresh fish/ a week followed in America by USA with 5.4 pounds.
Cuba was the country # 3 in America by calories consumption with 2,682 behind Argentina 3,106 and Uruguay 2,991.
Infantile mortality rate in Latin America without faking, cheating or killing.
1.- Cuba ….. 37.6
4.- Argentina…… 61.1
10.- Mexico…… 80.0
Adult mortality rate in America.
1.- Cuba …… 5.8
5.- Argentina ……. 8.1
6.- Canada ……. 8.1
11.- USA 9.4
Adult mortality rate in the world….. Cuba in third place!!!!!!!
Salary of agriculture workers in the world
1.- Canada $7.18
2.- USA $6.80
3.- New Zeland $6.72
4.- Australia $6.61
5.- Sweden $5.47
6.- Norway $4.38
7.- Cuba $3.00
to be continued.....
www.youtube.com/user/CubaSolidarity
The dirty job those thugs you call "anti-terrorist agents" were to make easy for castro's air force the killing of 4 American citizens of Cuban origin which only labor was to rescue shipwrecked and lost people in seas around Florida by patrolling international waters, they also tried to brake castrofascims control of information in Cuba by throwing flayers from their planes in international waters when atmospheric conditions guarantied flayers could fly with wind to Cuba. That was the reason castro killed them sending his air force on them and helped by the information delivered by the 5 spies. By other side those 200 freedom fighters and the whole civil society in Cuba does not want to leave Cuba..... why then do you repeat tyranny's wishes of expelling them out of Cuba???........ I tell you again........ you maybe not a castrofascism agent but you disguise it very well!!!