The "exile" and the Press
The Cuban "exile" is clamoring for the freedom of speech in Cuba for, a free press, and for the so called dissidents. Constantly, on Spanish speaking radio and television, their spokesman are shouting and ranting about the repression of free speech on the island. But do the Cuban-Americans practice freedom of speech? Are they tolerant and democratic with those who disagree with them?
Although they say they profess a great love for democracy and freedom of speech their actions show that the opposite is true. History clearly shows how recalcitrant the "exile" is. History demonstrates that the defenders of free expression and and human rights because of their obsessive hate and cynicism do not have a basic understanding of what freedom means and as such do not practice in the minimum the democratic rights with those they disagree with. For the recalcitrant and their spokesman, free speech signifies the freedom to misinform, to twist the truths about Cuba, the Cuban people and it's political process, as well as, to intimidate those who may differ with them, as is the case in Miami where intimidations and threats are often voiced over the press.
The "free" press here in the U.S. following the policies of Washington and because of their arrogance as they view other nations, specially Cuba, paint the island as a hell while painting the the exiles as the good guys, as the saviors. The "free" press will never question them. And if they do it is with kid gloves. The free press usually goes along with the usual policy and views on Cuba. It is very rare for a U.S. paper to print anything objective on Cuba. This goes for the majority of the news including the supposedly "liberal" papers like the NY Times. In matter of fact I've got a few articles on Cuba that will show you how they lie, twist and slant news concerning Cuban issues. In the near future I will publish concrete articles on this web and I will show how the so called "free press" distorts the news and realities concerning Cuba.
If the newspapers are bad with respect to Cuba, the TV networks are the worse. They pride themselves with being objective but what they do is far from it. The worse are the roundtables or panels that analyze and discuss Cuba. How many roundtables have you seen discussing Cuba, where there are 3 or 4 "experts" all puking out the same view point? Have you seen a roundtable with a balance of views? Not really. They all have the same attitudes and perspectives on Cuban issues. They have different sales pitch but basically having the same outlook on the island, their main objective is to demonize Cuba. Their views and interpretations are based on their hostilities, arrogance and biases against Cuba and it's leaders. Often, without obtaining the view from the other side, opinions from Cuban officials or their spokesman, they present their slanted news. It even comes to the point that, as they place themselves in the position of telling the Cuban govt. what they should and should not do, they can be considered representatives of the Cuban govt.
Many times these one sided TV panels and newscasts are stacked with "exiles", regurgitating all their filth and lies about Cuba. These so called experts are most often the most recalcitrant exiles and the most suspect. Case in point was how the US press gave continuous coverage to the former president of the right wing conservative CANF, Mas Canosa. This former seller of milk, who under the Reagan and Bush administrations, amassed a 800 million fortune - thanks to our tax dollar - and self proclaimed pres. of Cuba, was a darling of the press.
Another darling of the press is Frank Calzone. This former CIA agent who is the head of different exile orgs., all financed by Washington - right again with our tax money - is constantly sitting on panels discussing a variety of issues on Cuba. To the press he is considered a "guru" on Cuba. Never mind that he is spitting out basically, as other exiles, the same venom on Cuba. He may be very eloquent in his delivery but if you analyze it there is nothing new in his rhetoric. With all the perks this guy receives from Washington and all the speaking engagements this guy is running off like a bandit.
Of all the networks lacking in objectivity on issues relating to Cuba - excluding the reactionary Miami stations - the one that should get the Yellow Journalism award is FOX NEWS. This right wing reactionary press is constantly interviewing recalcitrant exile "leaders" and their spokesman. It is not uncommon to see Iran-contra felon, analyst Oliver North, puke out disinformation and slanders on Cuban issues. During the Elian saga this station had a field day. Day after day during the Elian kidnapping they had the most reactionary and extremist elements of the exile on their shows. They were able to squeeze out most of the venom from these "exile" vipers. The CANF "leaders" and spokesperson were favorites, all of them nauseating filth and slanders on Cuba.
By the way don't be fooled, that is one of the reasons they had Elian kidnapped: so that they can put Cuba and Cuban leaders on trial before the press and before the American public. There was, for example, Miami Cuban-American official Corollo and Penella continuously describing what a hell Cuba was, with one of them even describing how children in the island were forced to work in concentration camps, that is they were sent to agricultural farms. One of them describing how as a child in Cuba he used to finish each day of agricultural work with bloody hands. Who wasn't sympathetic with his plight, right. Wrong. What a bucket of horse shit this was! Yes, it's true that children when they are in the 7th grade are sent for 15 days to work in the field. But this is done to give a sense of social value and work ethics as well as to give them a sense of accomplishment. My nephew did this last year and although it's not easy work, it no where comes close to the horror story this con artist is talking about. I'm glad that the American public was not blinded by the exile poison and that they went beyond the rhetoric. And on not being fooled by the well oiled propaganda machine were able to reject this reactionary scum.
The press embracing wholeheartedly the exile community cannot be just passed off as they following the politics of Washington. It is more than this. Another factor is that they are afraid to certain extent of the exile's power within the community. They know fully aware of what this mafia is capable of doing and they know that if they, the press, steps out of line, they will have to pay the price. This is what happened to the Miami Herald. The Miami Herald years ago was more or less fairly objective; at least giving both sides on the issue of Cuba; or at least questioning certain things. But once the CANF and other organization started with their intimidation campaign and threats against it, to the point where outside newspaper vending machines were vandalized, the Herald had to swallow their objectivity. It has gotten to a point now where it is just a rubber stamp for the Miami exile. They have become their spokesman, blindly following and supporting their agenda and actions. I guess in a, if you can't beat them join them, mentality.
The exiles are very content with the Hispanic announcers and newspapermen when they serve as the spokesmen in their misinformation of Cuba. They reward the most recalcitrant and slanderous of the spokespersons and "newsmen", like Jorge Ramos and Ricardo Brown, to name a few, with ample awards and monetary perks. While punishing those few that dare speak out against them.
It is not uncommon for announcers and commentators puking out misinformation and exaggerations on Cuban issues, to present their points of views without exposing the other side of the issues. Often for example, on news relating to Cuba, they not only report it, but analyze it, often even acting as the spokesman for the Cuban govt.! This was evident in the shooting of the 2 planes, where they just bombarded the Hispanic press with just one side of the coin. Never was the other side of the coin ever given, and if it was, it was very, very minor. Cuban officials, and their views were never presented by the mostly Cuban-American controlled press. The same thing by the way could be said for the U.S. press.
On phone in radio segments relating to Cuba, another tactic of the recalcitrant announcers, after again puking out misinformation, is to control the callers making comments, in such a way as letting anyone who agrees with their view to express themselves fully - often to a constant rant - while constantly interrupting and cutting short those which they disagree with. This happened to me, for example, when I phoned a recalcitrant Cuban-American announcer on a NY radio station. While expressing my reasons for supporting the Cuban Revolution, he cut me off and said, "If you love it so much, why don't you go back to Cuba?" Needless to say, a week later I sent him an e-mail, expressing fully my views on Cuba. A few days later the only response I received was an e-mail stating, "you are not Cuban". (Funny that is not what my birth certificate says).
However, when an announcer or newsman dares to show the other side of the coin they are immediately attacked by the "exile". Threats and insults are not uncommon to those who dare speak out. They often are threatened with bodily harm and on occasions have even threatened with death. Another common threat is boycotting the station and it's sponsors.
One example, in many, of how antidemocratic the "exile" is include the threats mounted against the Puerto Rican announcer, Gerson Borrero of radio WADO in New York. Although he has repeated many times in his show Under Fire that he does not support Fidel Castro, he has been nevertheless, threatened many times by the exile community. His crime: giving both sides of the story when it comes to Cuba and questioning the recalcitrant nature of the exiles. It is common for him to be insulted with vulgarities and often threatened in the phone-in portion of his show.
Another example is the Cuban-American writer commentator, Luis Ortega, who although lives in Miami is censured by the local press for his criticizing the exile community, for his criticizing the exile's closed mindedness, and for his writing about Cuba from a historical context. The only recourse for this writer is to have his work published in the New York Hispanic paper, El Diario.
Another example, among many, of intimidation and reprisals by the exiles is the case of the well known psychiatrist Dr. Orlando Garcia. Dr. Garcia who resides in New York; and has written newspaper articles, and has appeared on Hispanic radio and television, was offered a position as an announcer on the Hispanic station Radio Unica. He was told that he could have any theme on his broadcast. When he told the general manager that his first theme was going to be about the Elian case - it was pending then - and that his view was that he should return to his father and Cuba, his show was immediately canceled. Of course this radio station is owned a recalcitrant Cuban-American. So much for freedom of speech.
The hate and rancor of the hate of these so called defenders of democracy is best exemplified over the Miami radio stations, where day after day Cuban-American announcers throw out their venom at those who differ with their opinions. It is common for these radio hate mongers to threaten people over the waves and to call on the exiles to deal with them. Case in point is 80 year old radio announcer, Perez Roura, of Radio Mambi, a radio station controlled by the Miami extreme right wing. This former backer of Batista, and who later conveniently changed sides after the revolution becoming an announcer for Radio Rebelde, is constantly preaching and predicating violence on Radio Mambi, in an often ranting and abrasive fashion, against those that differ with the exile's outlook on Cuba. The decadence is so deep in Miami that this vulgar and odious man is considered among the Miami Cuban community as not only a leader but a future president of Cuba.
Often their exultation to violence has caused people to be injured by a barrage of rocks and bottles. Violent and illegal actions against people who disagree with the reactionary Miami Cuban exile have often been overlooked by the Cuban-Miami police, most of them being of Cuban decent, as well as the corrupt Miami Cuban dominated court system.
People have been hurt, in Miami, for the simple reason of attending Cuban related cultural events, such as attending music concerts of Cuban groups or art expositions of Cuban artists.
Historical events within the "exile" community demonstrate that to have a different or just a moderate position on Cuba can be dangerous. To live in the exile community means for some who disagree, to live in silence, to live in an environment full of suspicion and intimidation; to others more outspoken in their convictions it means living in a hostile environment, where you can be attacked at any time. To some people having a different point of view has meant loss of jobs and livelihood; and in Miami where terrorists, plane hijackers and murderers roam free, where corruption and injustice reign free, having a different point of view has meant injuries and even death.