Letters from Cubans and ex-Cubans

Here are letters from Cubans, mainly those living outside of Cuba. 
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 1997 19:14:39 -0500
From: "Miguel M. de la O" <delao@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Cuba

I read your page on the embargo. I can't disagree with a lot of it. However, I do think you unfairly belittle the reason most Miami Cubans hate Castro. I'll be the first to admit that many were members of the land owning ruling elite, however you cannot overlook the systematic killing and torture of Castro's enemies as a reason people hate him. I just thought you should make that statement a little more balanced. It would be akin to saying that Jews hate Hitler merely because he took their belongings. It belittles the tremendous human suffering he inflicted upon them as a race. 


Date: Mon, 12 Aug 1996 02:10:43 -0600
From: Kasoulas Lab <kousoulas@vt8200.vetmed.lsu.edu>
Subject: Balls and no Balls

Why do you go against the embargo, condemn the US, and instead want US investments in Cuba. You do not seem to understand socialism, and its principle or you just chose to fool us. You sound like the philistines, who cares about the oppressed but do not want to get rid of the oppressors, and their system of oppression. Do you really think US will embraced oppressed people all over the wolrd? Where does the true wealth of US come from? What is the relationship of "capital, entrepeneurship, and labor"? American power rules the world for the simple interest of monopoly capital, at the expence of the oppressed. Today because Cuba stands in way of monopoly capital, its huge potential profit, she(CUBA)becomes a nation of people with BALLS, as oppossed to the rest of us(Philistines), who want to show compassion for the poor, but really do not understand the whole capitalistic ball game, and thus we do not possess, the kind of"CUBAN BALLS" we have all learnt to hate or fantasize about.

vtakin@lsuvm.sncc.lsu.edu 


From: "Manny Pinares" <mannyp@wwa.com>
Date: Sun, 11 Aug 1996 14:07:41 -0500

Being of Cuban descent I am totally opposed against the U.S. embargo on Cuba. The only people that suffer are the innocent citizens. I left Cuba at the age of 11, came to this country alone with my twin brother. I did not see my mother until I was 27 years old and did not see my older brother until 2 years ago. I am now 40 years old. My brother suffered a lot from this embargo, the only way he survived was with our monetary help. Although I am anti-Castro and would like to see a free Cuba I believe that starving the citizens is not the way.

Manuel Pinares 


Date: Tue, 6 Aug 96 00:36:21 UT
From: "Sergio Fleites" <The_Serge@msn.com>
Subject: Your Page on Cuba

As Cuban born and raised, I appreciate your care and understanding for the well being of the people of Cuba. I myself was a Cuban citizen living in Cuba until just over a year ago. It is nice to see, and both Cuban and Americans can recognize this, that the historical and traditional friendly bonds between our two populations have survived the cold war and will definitely survive communism, the Castro brothers, and the embargo. Cuban affection and respect for everything that is American surpasses all propaganda that has been thrown at us for the past 37 years... and 37 years is a very long time! Ins't it? However, I can guarantee you that in the minds of most Cubans there is absolutely no doubt who is responsible for the desolation and poverty our country is living in. We Cubans know that there is no shortage of market partners in the world. We all know we could obtain computers from Japan, cheap automobiles from Spain or Korea, clothing from Taiwan or China, oil from Venezuela or Mexico. Just visit the dollar stores. We also know that the reason that common Cuban citizens cannot obtain these goodies have nothing to do with the US embargo. If Cuba indeed had good government administrators caring for its citizens, promoting the restoration of a healthy economy (instead of simply trying to stay in power after 37 years) there would be no lack of goods available to the Cuban people IN SPITE OF the embargo. The truth is that the responsible for the actual situation in Cuba is its government and specifically Mr. Castro. The opinions you heard from the Cuban people (either good or bad) on your trip is just a front, much darker and terrifying stories are kept quiet under fear of persecussion. After all is said and done, after the day of reconciliation arrives for the Cuban people, you will hear from the people themselves the evil deeds to which they have been subjected to by one of their own, and you will also hear from us Cubans that the only country who stood firm against their oppressor was the US.

Yes, if the United States government is guilty of anything regarding the Cuban situation, is that it has failed to overthrow Mr. Castro is spite of all its attempts to do so, and also made it difficult or failed to help Cubans overthrow Castro themselves, and by doing so has left its neighbor friends to suffer in dispair on the hands of an oppressor.

The trade embargo, if anything, is a symbol of the long struggle of the American peoples against one of the greatest oppressors in the history of the Americas. Lifting the embargo now will only taint the US position in regards to Mr. Castro.

Sergio
The_Serge@msn.com 


Date: Sun, 04 Aug 1996 23:09:24 -0400
From: Alfredo Correa <correa@netside.net>
Subject: Cuba

I just wish you have to spend the rest of your life in a country where : - even what you talk is controled by the fear of being bitten to dead by your neighbors (those with whom you have lived all your life)
- there is nothing that you can buy with the money earned with your work.
- where you are taken out of school because you do not follow their communist path.
- where you are pushed out places because you are not from another country...

I will really appreciate if you respond to this e-mail; that way I will be able tell you why the so called "Embargo" is not more than a politic strategy. I also think you did not see enough in your trip...

AC 



Date: Tue, 10 Jun 97 00:23:51 -0700
From: (left unsigned by request)

I may be wrong, but I think good old Jesse and his friends (Dole, et al.) and all the Big Rich Guys want to bring Cuba to its knees just like Viet Nam...once you destroy a people's economy, it's easy to get in there and put your companies and businesses and HOTELS AND GAMBLING casinos there, along with  PROSTITUTION, you know, whatever the decadent rich are doing with their money these days...Cuba is a ripe spot for developing tourism, 90 miles off the coast...come on.  I don't think the issue is pride, I think it rarely has been...it's always the jingle of shekels.  We didn't invade Viet Nam to save it from Communism or to promote democracy...we (I do not mean that term collectively, for some of us defer...) invaded in order to preserve the offshore oil supplies.  Have we been paying attention?  Look at all the big American corporations who have begun setting up housekeeping in Viet Nam...No, Cuba is another business venture, ripe for the picking...Jesse is a puppet, babies...Cuba is one of his stages...if we can just get rid of that Castro, then Cuba is a gold mine...everything is for sale, everything is a commodity... I guess everyone can tell I read Noam Chomsky.


Date: Sat, 22 Jun 1996 16:21:58 -0700
From: Ernesto Rodriguez >ernesto3@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Embargo

Do you think that ending the American embargo (as you call it) will end the embargo that Castro has over the cuban people?. When you went to Cuba you probably talked to some cubans. Didn't you notice their fear to talk freele about their feelings. Every penny that the Cuban government gets is invested in exporting their revolution and maintaining their image of "Robin Hood" and that is at the cost of starving the population. The madicine that "Pastors for Peace" took to Cuba is been sold to tourists in Medical institutions that only Tourists (like you) can access, but at the same time, the Hospitals assigned to the population laks everything. You can get anything in Cuba. They have everithing that a tourist wants. The population don't. Just take a little time to search about the real Cuba. Many Germans fell for Hitlers carisma and when they opened their eyes, they found so many dead people that they are still counting them.

Pleas understand that most of the cubans that live in United States have reazons to hate Castro. He didn't get it for free. He deserves every bit of that hate.

Sincerely,

ernesto3@ix.netcom.com

Take a look at //www.netpoint.net/~cubanet/ By the way, 1/10 of the Cuban population is in exile right now. There were not so many rich people in Cuba in 1959. The Cuban interest section in Havana got more than one million applications for the visa lottery. If each application is for a familiy of three, that makes another 3/10 of the population who wants to leave. 


More information about the Cuba Embargo.
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