Prensa Latina reports:
Emotion & Poetry in the Center of Havana
Havana, Jul 2 For years, the amazing bronze figures located in a downtown avenue in the Cuban capital, “Leones del Prado” (Lions of the Prado Park), have been motive of delight for foreign tourists and even for Cuban citizens due to their character, beauty and poetry.
As permanent guards of Havana, they appear with their strong figures all along the Marti or Prado Park, which full of trees, takes passers-by from the emblematic Malecon to the Central Park amid the hustle and bustle of the city.
With their always-aggressive look and a roar that only the most imaginative people could hear, the “Leones del Prado” become perfect setting for a family photo or an informal walk.
Historians recall that in late 1700 the Spanish colonial authorities endorsed a public-works program intended to confer a different look to the village of San Cristobal de la Havana, founded in 1519.
After some contradictions, the great city had obtained the rank of capital of the island and so it deserved a special architectonical treatment.
The first changes included two tree-lined avenues, the city’s first theater and a presidential house.
By late 19th century, the image of the Prado Park was totally renewed with the construction of houses in the surroundings, the included marble banks, lights and the most important ornament the so-called “Leones del Prado”.
Book on Cuban wetlands birds: here.
Dr. Mourad Ghaleb, President of AAPSO
issued the following statement
on behalf of the Permanent Secretariat.
FREE THE FIVE !
The Afro-Asian Peoples’ Solidarity Organization- AAPSO is considered deeply with the continuous detention and incarceration in different prisons of the United States, the five Cubans : Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labanino, René Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero and Fernando Gonzalez.
After eight years of their arrest, which is highly politically motivated, they are still enduring unjust sentences in US jails precisely for their anti-terrorist acts, for their commitments to justice and respect of human rights. As a proof of their innocence, they have demonstrated that their determination to fight against this totally reprehensible and inhuman situation is unshakeable. This is also evidenced by the fact that on May 25, 2005, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared that the arrest of the five Cubans was arbitrary and illegal, while in August of the same year, the Atlanta Appeals Court overturned their sentences passed by Miami against them. Moreover, their arrest and incarceration is a flagrant violation of the Article 14 of the International Convention on Political and Civil Rights, to which the US is signatory.
The US double standard policy on war on terrorism is embodied clearly when the five Cubans have been arrested and imprisoned, while a notorious international terrorist who had bombed Cuban passenger plane causing the death of 73 people on board, has been granted full protection in US territory.
Considering that nothing justifies the continuous imprisonment of the Five Cubans, AAPSO urges the US to release and free them immediately.
AAPSO praises the firmness and strong determination of the Five and expresses its entire solidarity with them.
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U.S. fights Fidel – with $73 million in chocolates?
Posted by: “Compañero” companyero@mindspring.com chocoano05
Fri Dec 1, 2006 5:57 pm (PST)
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
November 26, 2006
U.S. fights Fidel – with chocolates?
http://www.nydailyn ews.com/news/col/aruiz/story/474652p-399244c.html
It is surrealism at its best: Fighting Fidel with Godiva chocolates and Harry Potter books.
This is what some Cuban-American organizations have been doing – apparently, for years.
They have spent thousands of dollars to buy the chocolates and the books and also cashmere sweaters, leather coats, Nintendo games and other assorted – shall we say subversive?- items.
These articles are, these organizations say in all
seriousness, smuggled into Cuba to combat Havana’s
Communist regime by aiding dissidents on the island.
Granted, it may not be the most effective way of bringing
down Castro and his government, but without a doubt it is
a lot of fun – particularly because it is the U.S.
taxpayers who cover the expenses.
These revelations are contained in “U.S. Democracy
Assistance for Cuba Needs Better Management and
Oversight,” a recent report put out by the Government
Accountability Office (GAO). The investigation’ s
conclusions are clear: The multimillion- dollar program
designed to aid Cuban dissidents and families has instead
encouraged waste and abuse among the organizations
receiving the funds.
“Under the Bush administration’ s Cuba policy, it is
illegal for Cuban-Americans to fly to Havana for a family
funeral, but legal for the State Department to pay
smugglers to bring chocolates and cashmere sweaters onto
the island,” said Sarah Stephens, executive director of
the Center for Democracy in the Americas.
We are not talking about a few wasted dollars here and
there. We are talking about $73 million that the U.S.
government has spent supposedly promoting democracy in
Cuba since 1996.
Ironically, the bulk of the money stays in Miami, the
Government Accountability Office says.
After all, someone has to pay for the living and
administrative expenses of the leaders of those patriotic
organizations in Florida who get the funds and are in
charge of distributing them inside Cuba.
And someone has to cover the cost of the dozens of mostly
useless studies, publications and conferences about a
post-Castro Cuba – usually more wishful thinking than
concrete analysis.
Yes, there is no doubt: These are times of abundance – or
vacas gordas (fat cows), as Cubans would call it – in
sunny Miami.
The GAO report came about after Rep. William Delahunt
(D-Mass.) and Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) requested it. Both
are longtime critics of U.S. policy toward Cuba. They
belong to the bipartisan House Cuba Working Group, which
would like to see travel restrictions lifted and a new
policy not based on economic sanctions.
“This program is a poorly administered part of a badly
flawed policy,” said Delahunt, who is poised to become
chairman of the House International Relations Oversight
and Investigations Subcommittee when Democrats become the
majority party in January. He has promised to hold
hearings next year on the report findings.
“This program is unlikely to do anything to the Castro
government but make it laugh at our expense,” Stephens
said. “After more than 40 years of failure, if there were
more evidence needed that American citizens and American
taxpayers need a new Cuba policy, the GAO report provides
it.”
Drop the failed, 45-year-old trade embargo, abandon the
anachronistic Cold War mind-set and allow free travel and
free trade, and scrap the interventionist White House’s
Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba. That would be a
really new and rational Cuba policy.
Originally published on November 26, 2006
==================================================
US-Cuba Democracy PAC
PAC Contributions to Federal Candidates
2006 Cycle
House Candidate Total Contribs
Ackerman, Gary (D-NY) $6,000
Alexander, Rodney (R-LA)$1,000
Andrews, Robert E (D-NJ)$1,000
Baca, Joe (D-CA) $5,000
Barrow, John (D-GA) $6,000
Bartlett, Roscoe G (R-MD)$500
Bass, Charles (R-NH) $1,000
Berkley, Shelley (D-NV) $1,000
Bilbray, Brian P (R-CA) $1,000
Bilirakis, Gus (R-FL) $1,000
Blunt, Roy (R-MO) $1,000
Bonilla, Henry (R-TX) $2,160
Bonner, Jo (R-AL) $3,000
Boren, Dan (D-OK) $3,000
Boustany, Charles W Jr (R-LA) $2,500
Boyd, Allen (D-FL) $3,000
Brady, Kevin (R-TX) $3,000
Brown, Corrine (D-FL) $5,000
Burton, Dan (R-IN) $4,000
Butterfield, G K (D-NC) $5,000
Camp, Dave (R-MI) $1,000
Campbell, John (R-CA) $2,000
Cantor, Eric (R-VA) $1,000
Cardoza, Dennis (D-CA) $2,000
Carnahan, Russ (D-MO) $4,000
Chabot, Steve (R-OH) $1,000
Chandler, Ben (D-KY) $8,000
Chocola, Chris (R-IN) $1,000
Cleaver, Emanuel (D-MO) $1,000
Conaway, Mike (R-TX) $4,000
Costa, Jim (D-CA) $1,000
Cuellar, Henry (D-TX) $5,000
Davis, Artur (D-AL) $2,000
Davis, Geoff (R-KY) $2,000
Deal, Nathan (R-GA) $2,500
DeLay, Tom (R-TX) $5,000
Dent, Charles Wieder (R-PA) $2,000
Drake, Thelma (R-VA) $1,000
Duncan, John J Jr (R-TN)$2,000
Edwards, Chet (D-TX) $3,000
Ehlers, Vernon J (R-MI) $2,000
Engel, Eliot L (D-NY) $5,000
Etheridge, Bob (D-NC) $2,000
Feeney, Tom (R-FL) $4,000
Fitzpatrick, Michael G (R-PA) $6,000
Fortenberry, Jeffrey Lane (R-NE) $3,264
Fossella, Vito (R-NY) $1,000
Foxx, Virginia (R-NC) $2,000
Franks, Trent (R-AZ) $1,000
Gallegly, Elton (R-CA) $1,000
Gard, John (R-WI) $1,000
Garrett, Scott (R-NJ) $1,000
Goode, Virgil H Jr (R-VA) $1,000
Graves, Sam (R-MO) $1,000
Green, Gene (D-TX) $1,000
Gutknecht, Gil (R-MN) $2,000
Hall, Ralph M (R-TX) $1,000
Hare, Philip G (D-IL) $1,000
Hastings, Alcee L (D-FL)$1,000
Higgins, Brian M (D-NY) $4,000
Hobson, Dave (R-OH) $1,000
Hulshof, Kenny (R-MO) $1,000
Inglis, Bob (R-SC) $2,000
Issa, Darrell (R-CA) $2,000
Jindal, Bobby (R-LA) $1,000
Jordan, James D (R-OH) $1,000
Kennedy, Patrick J (D-RI) $4,000
King, Steven A (R-IA) $2,000
Knollenberg, Joe (R-MI) $2,000
Kuhl, John R Jr (R-NY) $6,000
Lamberti, Jeffrey (R-IA)$1,000
Lantos, Tom (D-CA) $1,500
Latham, Tom (R-IA) $3,000
LaTourette, Steven C (R-OH) $2,000
Lewis, Jerry (R-CA) $1,000
Lucas, Frank D (R-OK) $1,000
Lungren, Dan (R-CA) $1,000
Mack, Connie (R-FL) $3,000
Maloney, Carolyn B (D-NY) $1,000
Manzullo, Don (R-IL) $2,000
Marchant, Kenny Ewell (R-TX) $1,000
Marshall, Jim (D-GA) $4,000
Matheson, Jim (D-UT) $1,000
McCaul, Michael (R-TX) $1,000
McCotter, Thad (R-MI) $4,000
McHenry, Patrick (R-NC) $1,000
McIntyre, Mike (D-NC) $5,000
McMorris, Cathy (R-WA) $8,000
Meek, Kendrick B (D-FL) $4,500
Melancon, Charles J (D-LA) $6,000
Miller, Brad (D-NC) $4,000
Miller, Les (D-FL) $1,000
Musgrave, Marilyn (R-CO) $1,000
Ney, Bob (R-OH) $2,000
Ortiz, Solomon P (D-TX) $2,000
Oxley, Michael G (R-OH) $2,000
Pallone, Frank Jr (D-NJ)$3,000
Pascrell, Bill Jr (D-NJ)$2,000
Pence, Mike (R-IN) $5,000
Pickering, Charles “Chip” Jr (R-MS) $2,000
Poe, Ted (R-TX) $8,000
Porter, Jon (R-NV) $1,000
Price, Tom (R-GA) $2,000
Pryce, Deborah (R-OH) $2,000
Radanovich, George (R-CA) $2,000
Rehberg, Denny (R-MT) $5,500
Reichert, Dave (R-WA) $2,000
Renzi, Rick (R-AZ) $1,000
Rogers, Hal (R-KY) $2,000
Ryan, Tim (D-OH) $1,000
Salazar, John (D-CO) $10,000
Schiff, Adam (D-CA) $7,000
Schmidt, Jean (R-OH) $4,000
Schultz, Debbie Wasserman (D-FL) $9,000
Schwartz, Allyson (D-PA) $2,000
Schwarz, Joe (R-MI) $4,000
Sherman, Brad (D-CA) $4,000
Shimkus, John M (R-IL) $1,000
Simmons, Rob (R-CT) $1,000
Sires, Albio (D-NJ) $5,000
Sodrel, Michael E (R-IN) $3,000
Sorensen, Sheila (R-ID) $1,000
Sullivan, John (R-OK) $1,000
Sweeney, John E (R-NY) $2,000
Tancredo, Tom (R-CO) $1,000
Terry, Lee (R-NE) $5,500
Tiahrt, Todd (R-KS) $1,000
Tiberi, Patrick J (R-OH) $1,000
Walsh, James T (R-NY) $1,000
Westmoreland, Lynn A (R-GA) $1,000
Wexler, Robert (D-FL) $500
Whitfield, Ed (R-KY) $6,000
Wilson, Heather (R-NM) $2,000
Wu, David (D-OR) $7,500
Total to Democratic House Candidates: $160,000
Total to Republican House Candidates: $191,924
Senate Candidate Total Contribs
Alexander, Lamar (R-TN) $10,000
Allen, George (R-VA) $1,000
Burns, Conrad (R-MT) $7,000
Burr, Richard (R-NC) $1,000
Case, Ed (D-HI) $1,000
Chambliss, Saxby (R-GA) $1,000
Coleman, Norm (R-MN) $5,000
DeWine, Mike (R-OH) $5,000
Dole, Elizabeth (R-NC) $2,000
Ensign, John (R-NV) $8,000
Ford, Harold E Jr (D-TN) $1,000
Hatch, Orrin G (R-UT) $6,000
Kennedy, Mark (R-MN) $1,000
Kyl, Jon (R-AZ) $1,000
Lieberman, Joe (I-CT) $10,000
Lugar, Richard G (R-IN) $1,000
Menendez, Robert (D-NJ) $10,000
Nelson, Bill (D-FL) $10,000
Salazar, Ken (D-CO) $2,000
Sessions, Jeff (R-AL) $1,000
Snowe, Olympia J (R-ME) $1,000
Vitter, David (R-LA) $1,000
Whitehouse, Sheldon (D-RI) $5,000
Total to Democratic Senate Candidates: $29,000
Total to Republican Senate Candidates: $52,000
Based on data released by the FEC on Tuesday, October 10, 2006. Figures in parentheses denote negative numbers, and may indicate returned contributions or bounced checks.
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