Victor Fowler Calzada, Havana, 30 March 2016 – Contemporary journalism in Cuba will bear, for a long time, the shame of a commentary titled, “Negro, are you Swedish,” that appeared today in the online edition of the Havana Tribune under the signature of Elias Argudín, in the opinion section.
One is left almost paralyzed on realizing that someone thinks to make a joke by talking this way, and we awake in the land of hallucinations to discover that the “Negro” in question is none other than Barack Obama, the President of the United States who just visited us.
For my taste and understanding of how a contemporary society should function, it is one of the worst possible displays to a world that is being told there is no racism in Cuba; as a part of the ‘damage control’ after the visit it seems that hours must have been spent calculating the most demeaning way to refer to a political leader his is considered the enemy and who also is
The example of moral turpitude is worthy of anthology and speaking in plural is justified because something like that does get published – much less – without the review of the Editor in Chief as well as the management of the newspaper.
Faced with this formidable gaffe, and at this exact moment, the least those involved should do is apologize to – not to mention ask humbly for forgiveness, from the public that follows them.
The other thing that would be interesting, without hypocrisy or manipulation, is to receive solidarity because — above ideological or political difference – we must not let racial offenses go by without confronting them.
