Fidel Castro: Canadians were always respectful of our country

JG: The same can not be said of the Yankee imperialists. Starting with Dwight D. Eisenhower and ending with Barack H. Obama, they all thought that they owned Cuba.

IN YOUR DREAMS! YOU FOOLS!

Reflexiones de Fidel @ CubaDebate

Las ilusiones de Stephen Harper

8 Abril 2012 20

Creo, sin ánimo de ofender a nadie, que así se llama el Primer Ministro de Canadá. Lo deduzco de una declaración publicada el “Miércoles Santo” por un vocero del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de ese país. Son casi 200 los Estados, supuestamente independientes, que integran la Organización de Naciones Unidas. Constantemente cambian o los cambian. Muchos son personas honorables y amigos de Cuba, pero no es posible recordar los detalles de cada uno de ellos.

En la segunda mitad del siglo XX tuve el privilegio de vivir años de intenso aprendizaje, y apreciar que los canadienses, ubicados en el extremo norte de este hemisferio, fueron siempre respetuosos de nuestro país. Invertían en esferas de su interés y comerciaban con Cuba, pero no intervenían en los asuntos internos de nuestro Estado.

El proceso revolucionario iniciado el 1º de Enero de 1959 no implicó medidas que afectaran sus intereses, los cuales fueron tomados en cuenta por la Revolución en el mantenimiento de relaciones normales y constructivas con las autoridades de aquel país donde se llevaba a cabo un intenso esfuerzo por su propio desarrollo. No fueron, por tanto, cómplices del bloqueo económico, la guerra, y la invasión mercenaria que Estados Unidos aplicó contra Cuba.

En mayo de 1948, año en que se creó la OEA, institución de bochornosa historia que dio al traste con lo poco que ya quedaba del sueño de los libertadores de América, Canadá estaba lejos de pertenecer a la misma. Ese status se mantuvo durante más de 40 años, hasta 1990. Algunos de sus líderes nos visitaron. Uno de ellos fue Pierre Elliott Trudeau, brillante y valiente político, muerto prematuramente, a cuyo sepelio asistimos en nombre de Cuba.

Se supone que la OEA sea una organización regional integrada por los Estados soberanos de este hemisferio. Tal afirmación, como otras muchas de consumo diario, encierra un gran número de mentiras. Lo menos que podemos hacer es estar conscientes de las mismas, si se preserva el espíritu de lucha y la esperanza de un mundo más digno.

Se supone que la OEA sea una organización panamericana. Un país cualquiera de Europa, África, Asia o de Oceanía, no podría pertenecer a la OEA por poseer una colonia, como Francia en Guadalupe; o los Países Bajos, en Curazao. Pero el colonialismo británico no podía definir el status de Canadá, y explicar si era una colonia, una república, o un reino.

El Jefe de Estado en Canadá es la Reina de Inglaterra Isabel II, aunque esta deposite sus facultades en un Gobernador General designado por ella. De ese modo cabe preguntar si el Reino Unido es también parte de la OEA.

A su vez, el honorable Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Canadá no se atreve a decir si apoya o no a la Argentina en el espinoso tema de las Malvinas. Expresa solo beatíficos deseos de que reine la paz entre los dos países, pero allí Gran Bretaña posee la mayor base militar fuera de su territorio que viola la soberanía Argentina, no se excusó por haber hundido el Belgrano que estaba fuera de las aguas jurisdiccionales establecidas por ellos mismos y provocó el sacrificio inútil de cientos de jóvenes que cumplían su servicio militar. Hay que preguntarle a Obama y a Harper qué posición van a adoptar frente al justísimo reclamo de que se reintegre la soberanía de Argentina sobre las islas, y se deje de privarla de los recursos energéticos y pesqueros que tanto necesita para el desarrollo del país.

Me asombré realmente cuando profundicé en los datos de las actividades de las transnacionales canadienses en América Latina. Conocía el daño que los yanquis le imponían al pueblo de Canadá. Obligaban al país a buscar el petróleo extrayéndolo de grandes extensiones de arena impregnadas de ese líquido, ocasionando un daño irreparable al medio ambiente de ese hermoso y extenso país.

El daño increíble era el que las empresas canadienses especializadas en búsqueda de oro, metales preciosos y material radioactivo ocasionaban a millones de personas.

En un artículo publicado en el sitio web Alainet hace una semana, suscrito por una ingeniera en Calidad Ambiental,que nos introduce más detalladamente en la materia que incontables veces se ha mencionado como uno de los principales azotes que golpea a millones de personas.

“Las empresas mineras, el 60% de las cuales son de capital canadiense, trabajan bajo la lógica de aprovechamiento máximo, a bajo costo y corto tiempo, condiciones que son aún más ventajosas sí, en el sitio donde se instalan, se pagan mínimos ingresos tributarios y existen muy pocos compromisos ambientales y sociales…”

“Las leyes de minería de nuestros países [...] no incluyen obligaciones y metodologías para el control de impactos ambientales y sociales.”

“…los ingresos tributarios que las empresas mineras pagan a los países de la región son en promedio no más del 1.5% de los ingresos obtenidos.”

“La lucha social en contra de la minería, especialmente la metálica, ha venido creciendo a medida que generaciones enteras han visualizado los impactos ambientales y sociales…”

“Guatemala tiene una fuerza de resistencia ante los proyectos mineros que es admirable, gracias a la apropiación que tienen los pueblos indígenas del valor de sus territorios y sus recursos naturales como herencias ancestrales invaluables. Sin embargo, en los últimos 10 años, las consecuencias de esa lucha se han visualizado en el asesinato de 120 activistas y defensores de los Derechos Humanos.”

En el mismo artículo se va señalando lo que ocurre en El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua y Costa Rica, con cifras que obligan a pensar profundamente en gravedad y el rigor del saqueo despiadado que se va cometiendo contra los recursos naturales de nuestros países e hipotecando el futuro de los latinoamericanos.

La presencia de Dilma Rousseff, de regreso a su país, con escala en Washington, servirá para que Obama se persuada de que aunque algunos se refocilan pronunciando melosos discursos, Latinoamérica está lejos de ser un coro de países demandando limosnas.

Las guayaberas que usará Obama en Cartagena es uno de los grandes temas de las agencias noticiosas: “Edgar Gómez [...] ha diseñado una para el presidente de Estados Unidos, Barack Obama, que la exhibirá durante la Cumbre de las Américas”, nos cuenta la hija del diseñador, y añade: “Se trata de una guayabera blanca, sobria y con un trabajo manual más notorio de lo habitual…”.

De inmediato la agencia de noticia agrega: “Esta camisa caribeña tiene su origen en las orillas del río Yayabo, en Cuba, por eso inicialmente se llamaban yayaberas…”.

Lo curioso, amables lectores, es que Cuba está prohibida en esa reunión; pero las guayaberas, no. ¿Quién puede aguantar la risa? Hay que correr para avisarle a Harper.

Fidel Castro Ruz

Abril 8 de 2012

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JG: No one can deny that Fidel is NUMERO UNO when it comes to history. I did not know that the 'guayabera' was originally called a yayabera, because it originated on the shores of the Yayabo river, in Cuba.

Again, Fidel is 100% correct, when he says that the fact that Guayaberas will be able to attend the Summmit of the Americas, but not Cuba, is something that is, in itself, laughable.

The "progressive" fools of the Democratic Party in the U.S., when Obama farts, they applaud him! And if you dare to oppose Mr. Big Ears, they will accuse you of being racist.

National Ballet of Cuba in Vancouver, B.C., Canada

Canadian Band Ready to Travel to Cuba

Vancouver rock ’n’ rollers The Vicious Cycles will travel to Cuba in January to help support Cuban rock bands.

The Vancouver Sun

Vancouver band Vicious Cycles ready to rock Cuba

Band of bikers expects ‘a whole bunch of Harleys’ to come to their show

By Francois Marchand, Vancouver Sun December 14, 2011

The Vicious Cycles 'Solidarity Rock' Cuban Tour Kick-off

With Rich Hope and his Evil Doers, AK-747s

Friday, Dec. 16, 9 p.m.

The Media Club, 695 Cambie

Tickets: $10 at the door

VANCOUVER — It’s almost a rock ’n’ roll Buena Vista Social Club.

In January, Vancouver rock ’n’ rollers The Vicious Cycles will embark on a tour of Cuba, performing alongside underground Cuban punk act Arrabio.

In the process, they will be helping a Cuban community organization secure new equipment for up and coming rock acts and music schools in a country that has been repressing rock ’n’ roll for decades.

The Vicious Cycles are the fifth Canadian band to head down to Cuba as part of Solidarity Rock, a charitable music initiative launched by a handful of Edmonton-based musicians and Cuban friends like William Garcia, a member of Arrabio who is handling logistics on the Cuban side through the Hermanos Saiz Association.

The Cycles are the first Vancouver band to make the trek to Cuba, playing seven shows in 10 days across the country.

“It’s artists helping artists, musicians helping musicians,” Vicious Cycles bassist Rob Wright said. “It’s not just Canadian musicians helping Cuban musicians, it’s a true exchange.

“It’s about helping musicians find their own way. It’s not about any sort of political structure. We’re going over there to play rock ’n’ roll and to help others play rock ’n’ roll.”

The Vicious Cycles are a motorcycle-loving crew that released their first album The Strange and Terrible Saga of ... this spring.

The band includes members of Raised By Wolves, The Blackjacks and Les Tabernacles and is known for its wild, sweaty performances.

For Wright, the opportunity to play for Harley-Davidson fans in Cuba was a no-brainer.

“The guys in Arrabio organized a meeting with the Harley-Davidson club in Trinidad,” Wright said. “They’re getting a whole bunch of Harleys to come out to our show, which should be pretty wild.”

Edmonton-based documentary filmmaker Drew McIntosh has been involved with Solidarity Rock since its inception in 2008, when he and Edmonton rock band 7 and 7 Is made their first trip to Cuba as part of the project.

Over the course of four tours, McIntosh has shot hours upon hours of footage that he hopes will eventually become a full-length documentary about the underground rock ’n’ roll scene in Cuba.

“The guys that play traditional salsa music and shake maracas for tourists make the money,” McIntosh said. “But there are these bands that are some of the best bands I’ve ever seen and they would never be invited to play big festivals in their own cities. We’re showing the world that Cuban rock ’n’ roll exists, and if we can start putting that stuff in music schools now, I think it will be an interesting legacy.”

So far, the Solidarity Rock project has donated a full band setup with P.A., amplifiers, drum kit and guitars to the Hermanos Saiz Association in Sancti Spiritus, and it has also provided instruments to various bands directly.

“There’s a thriving punk rock scene in four cities in the centre of the country,” McIntosh said. “For the last 16 years, there has been the same 10-12 guys playing that kind of music. Arrabio is part of that. They are the original surviving punk rockers that have been there the whole time.”

McIntosh added that he hoped this fifth tour would see Solidarity Rock expand into different chapters across Western Canada via groups based out of Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver.

“We want to break it into chapters that can take on their own autonomous projects,” McIntosh said.

“That way we can achieve more successes.”

The kickoff concert at the Media Club Friday night will also feature performances by Rich Hope and his Evil Doers and the AK-747s, as well as an exhibit featuring pictures by McIntosh and other photographers who have documented the Cuban rock ’n’ roll scene over the past four Solidarity Rock tours.

“In the long term, one of the goals of solidarity rock is to bring Arrabio to Canada to tour,” Wright said.

fmarchand@vancouversun.com

WARNING! Let the Buyer Beware!

JG: This is in regards to one of my posts today, regarding the so-called Cuba Fund. It operates out of a post office box in Miami, Florida. You all know very well what is my opinion of that city: THE CESSPOOL OF THE U.S.

This so-called "fund" fits the description of "penny stocks." LET THE BUYER BEWARE!

THE HERZFELD CARIBBEAN BASIN FUND, INC.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Miami, Florida
November 11, 2011

Nasdaq Capital Market: CUBA
Cusip: 42804T106

Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors, Inc.
PO Box 161465
Miami, FL 33116

www.herzfeld.com

The Herzfeld Caribbean Basin Fund, Inc. Declares $0.0634 Per Share Year-End Distribution

Miami, FL – The Board of Directors of The Herzfeld Caribbean Basin Fund, Inc. (Nasdaq Capital Market: CUBA) declared a year-end cash distribution of $0.0634 per share from net long-term capital gains, payable on January 9, 2012 to stockholders of record December 15, 2011. The distribution is taxable to stockholders for the calendar year 2011.

All shareholders will receive this distribution in cash, including those currently registered in the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan.

Including this distribution, The Herzfeld Caribbean Basin Fund, Inc. will have paid a total of approximately $4.24 per share in distributions since the Fund’s inception in 1994. The Herzfeld Caribbean Basin Fund, Inc. is a closed-end fund managed by HERZFELD/CUBA a division of Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors, Inc. (based in Miami).

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. To achieve its objective the Fund invests in issuers that are likely, in the Advisor’s view, to benefit from economic, political, structural and technological developments in the countries in the Caribbean Basin, which the Fund considers to consist of Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Barbados, Aruba, Haiti, the Netherlands Antilles, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and the United States.

Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors, Inc. specializes in the field of closed-end funds.

Information about the advisor and the Fund can be found at www.herzfeld.com.

For further information contact:
Cecilia L. Gondor
305-271-1900

Cuba Fund Going Public on the Toronto Stock Exchange

CubaStandard.com

After 16 years of investing in Cuban hotels and commercial real estate, Ceiba Investments Ltd. plans to list its shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

With an Initial Public Offering planned before the end of the year, the Channel Islands-based company wants to price its shares for an initial public offering at least at US$1.20, according to the company’s annual report.

In June, Ceiba terminated a three-year old agreement with its investment adviser and converted from a regulated close–end investment fund to an internally-managed investment company, while submitting an application to list its shares on Canada’s largest stock exchange.

In order to fund new investment projects and to ease its dependency on cash flows from operations, the company decided to go public on the Toronto Stock Exchange, “a highly liquid international market,” Ceiba said in its annual report.

Ceiba has quietly become one of the largest foreign investors in Cuban hotels, thanks to some $170 million in island-related investments. They include a 86-percent share in HOMASI S.A., a Spanish holding company that owns 50 percent of the Meliá Habana hotel; a 71.525-percent share in Corporación Interinsular Hispana S.A., another Spanish company that owns the foreign half of three Sol Meliá-managed hotels in Varadero; and a 50-percent interest in TosCuba S.A., a joint venture that is developing a 400-room hotel at Playa María Aguilar near Trinidad. Construction is expected to begin in 2013.

Ceiba also holds a 49-percent share in Inmobiliaria Monte Barreto S.A., the joint venture that owns the Miramar Trade Center, a 600,000-square foot office complex in Western Havana.

Ceiba bought these participations over the past five years from other foreign companies. The company is completely debt-free.

Ceiba parks some of its funds by providing loans to Cuban borrowers. As of March this year, the company had close to $20 million outstanding from a loan to Casa Financiera FINTUR S.A., the main collection agent for Cuba’s tourism income, and $2.5 million to Banco Internacional de Comercio S.A. Ceiba has loaned FINTUR money since 2002.

Ceiba declared a net profit of $13 million in March 2011, compared to a net profit of $528,000 in 2010.

The main shareholders and executives in Ceiba are Chairman Jaime García-Andrade, Chief Investment Officer Enrique Rottenberg, CEO Sebastiaan A.C. Berger, and Colin Kingsnorth.

See also: WARNING! Let the Buyer Beware!

Cuba defeats Canada 9-5 in the second game at the 2011 Pan American Games

Jose Dariel Abreu is congratulated by his teamates
Photo: AP
Based on the stellar performance of Jose Dariel Abreu, who had four RBI's with his Grand Salami in the third inning, and the magnificent explosion of 18 hits from Team Cuba, the Caribbean nation easily defeated the nine-squad from Canada by the score of 9-5.

Frederich Cepeda and Alfredo Despaigne also connected home-runs.

This was a dangerous game for Cuba. Canada always fights very hard, but this time they fell short.

Cuba has qualified for the baseball semifinals of the Pan American Games. But first it has to play Puerto Rico at 14:00 today. Los Portorros have two loses and no wins in Group B. Cuba must not become overconfident in this game.

BOXSCORE

Juventud Rebelde: Cuba derrotó 9-5 a Canadá en el béisbol panamericano

Cuba defeats Canada 8-2 and Panama 7-2 and advances to the gold medal game tonight

Canada's and Panama's gold medal hopes were dashed on Friday when Team Cuba beat the Canadians 8-2 and followed that with a victory over Panama by the score of 7-2.

Cuba and the Netherlands ended the finals with the best records, six wins and one loss, and will play for the gold medal game tonight at 19:30.

Here is how Team Cuba batters performed vs Canada:

Castillo (5-2), 1 triple
Bell (4-1), 1 RBI
Cepeda (4-3) 2 RBI's, 1 double, 1triple
Despaigne (4-2) 1 RBI 1 double
Gourriel (3-1) 1 RBI, 1 double
Abreu (4-2) 2 RBI's, 1 home run
Enriquez (2-1)
Pestano (4-2) 1 RBI, 1 double
Arruebarruena 1 RBI, 1 double

Team Cuba had 15 hits. Vicyohandri Odelin was the winning pitcher and did not allow an earned run on the last tree innings of the game.

GO CUBA!

Boxscore against Canada

Boxscore against Panama

Wikipedia 2011 World Cup Page

Granma: Hoy, por el oro frente a Holanda

Mothers Day Canada

Mothers Day CanadaThe Mothers Day Canada is also celebrated with the great appreciation for their mothers.In Canada also mothers day is on the second Sunday of the month may.and in the year 2011, its on the 8 May.