Translating Cuba

Concerned About the Risk of a New Exodus of Venezuelans, Colombia Asks for ‘Transparency’

The crisis for several countries of the continent has been exacerbated. Mexican President López Obrador sees no “evidence of fraud” and criticizes the “interventionism of the OAS.”

Gustavo Petro accused the United States of maintaining an “inhuman blockade” against Venezuela /EFE

14ymedio, Havana, July 31, 2024 — The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, who had taken care to make statements about last weekend’s Venezuelan elections, finally expressed his official position on Wednesday. Although he calls for “transparent scrutiny,” the president is ambivalent on other key issues, but he did make it clear that “anything that happens in Venezuela will affect Colombia.”

So far, Petro’s government, through its Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo, has refused to recognize any victory, either of the opponent Edmundo González Urrutia or of the current president, his political ally, Nicolás Maduro. Likewise, Murillo requested a review of the ballots and an audit of the results declared by the National Electoral Committee of Venezuela (CNE). However, the voice of the Colombian president, who during his term has guided a rapprochement with Caracas, was missed.

“The serious doubts that are established around the Venezuelan electoral process can lead the people to a deep violent polarization with serious consequences of division,” were the first words that Petro wrote on his X account, while calling on the neighboring Government to respect, with transparency, the result of the elections “whatever it is.” continue reading

“We respectfully propose to reach an agreement between the Government and the opposition that allows maximum respect for the party that has lost the elections. Such an agreement can be delivered as a Unilateral Declaration of State to the United Nations Security Council,” he added.

“We respectfully propose to reach an agreement between the Government and the opposition that allows maximum respect”

“I invite the Venezuelan Government to allow the elections to end in peace by allowing a transparent counting of ballots and a scrutiny of all the political forces of the country, with professional international oversight,” said the president, who did not miss an opportunity, however, to point out the “blockade” of the United States as “an anti-human measure that only brings more hunger and more violence than already exists and promotes the mass exodus of peoples.”

The concern about the mass migration of Venezuelans is a subtle constant in the president’s statement. Colombia has been affected in recent years by the stampede of those fleeing Chavismo.

“Free people know how to make their decisions,” is the point of Petro’s statement, and what shows the measure of their loyalty, even if they fall back on neutrality, is the hope that Chavismo will accept its “great responsibility” to remember the spirit of Chávez and allow the Venezuelan people to return to tranquility so that the elections end calmly and a transparent result is accepted.”

The statement – extremely careful – of the Colombian president, however, contrasts with that of other countries allied with Caracas, such as Cuba and Nicaragua, which did not hesitate to congratulate Nicolás Maduro for a re-election that many States of the continent and international organizations consider “fraudulent,” or that have remained on the sidelines, such as Mexico, which does not “see signs of fraud” but is waiting for definitive results.

Colombia awaits a response from Venezuela, which has asked for the withdrawal of diplomatic personnel from several countries that have doubted Maduro’s true victory, including Argentina and the Dominican Republic.

Much more critical positions have been taken by other governments in the region, such as Peru, which reiterated on Wednesday that the multiple irregularities committed in the Venezuelan elections constitute “an authentic electoral fraud.” Peru has now received a diplomatic note from Venezuela that finalizes the official decision to break diplomatic relations.

One day earlier, Dina Boluarte, President of Peru, recognized González Urrutia as the president-elect of Venezuela

One day earlier, Dina Boluarte, President of Peru, recognized González Urrutia as the president-elect of Venezuela, which the Peruvian Foreign Ministry defended again today, explaining that its commitment to protect democracy is “inescapable.”

In a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on X, the President indicated that Peru is coordinating with like-minded countries for the protection of its interests and Peruvians in Venezuela, in accordance with the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Likewise, she said that she will continue to make efforts to serve the Venezuelan community that resides in Peru, estimated at 1.5 million people.

For his part, the acting president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, is still waiting for the results, although on Wednesday he stated that “there is no evidence” that electoral fraud has been committed in Venezuela. He also questioned the Organization of American States (OAS) for its “interventionism.”

“We’re going to wait. I think that evidence has to be presented, the ballots, and I think they must have a record, even if it’s been carried out electronically. I believe that in the procedure there are ballots, there are data to know what happened,” the president said during his morning conference.

He also said that the Mexican Foreign Minister, Alicia Bárcena, will not participate in the meeting convened by the OAS because she does not agree with the organization’s attitude toward the Venezuelan elections. “Why are we going to a meeting like this? That is not serious, it is not responsible,” he emphasized. López Obrador also demanded the end of “interventionism,” the cause – according to him – of the “stagnation” of Venezuela and its problems.

Even the Carter Center, which participated as an observer in the Venezuelan elections after being selected by the ruling party itself, said on Tuesday that the process “did not fit” the international parameters and standards of electoral integrity. The organization, whose delegation left the country before issuing its statement and will present its detailed report in the coming days, was categorical in the advance of its conclusion: the election “cannot be considered democratic.”

“The Carter Center cannot verify or corroborate the authenticity of the results of the presidential election declared by the CNE of Venezuela,” it added. The organization stressed that the entity has not announced the results disaggregated by table, which “constitutes a serious violation of electoral principles. The process has not reached the international standards of integrity in any of its relevant stages and has violated numerous precepts of the national legislation itself.”

Venezuela also has strained relations with Argentina, whose embassy in Caracas is harboring six opponents as refugees since March 26. As those received at the headquarters denounced on Wednesday, Maduro’s “regime security officials” continue being on the outskirts with troops and “seek to take this diplomatic headquarters.”

“We alert the diplomatic corps accredited in the country about this serious violation of international law,” Pedro Urruchurtu, international coordinator of the opposition party Vente Venezuela (VV), said on X.

This is the second time that Venezuelan officials have surrounded the diplomatic headquarters

This is the second time that Venezuelan officials have surrounded the diplomatic headquarters, since, according to Urruchurtu, this Monday a group of police officers also intended to “take” the residence but then left, faced with the arrival of hundreds of supporters of the opposition leader María Corina Machado, in support of the asylum seekers.

Urruchurtu denounced that, since this morning, the presence of “patrols and regime officials in the surroundings” of the headquarters is being repeated, while the residence has had a “power cut” since Tuesday, something that the Government of Argentina described as “harassment.”

Meanwhile, the mood in the streets remains heated. As reported on Wednesday by Attorney General Tarek William Saab, at least 1,062 people have been arrested in the protests carried out by Venezuelans for several days after the CNE granted the victory to Maduro.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Fined 20,000 Pesos for Filming and Disseminating on Social Networks the Theft of Potatoes in a Field

Norberto Muñoz was fired from his job as an agricultural worker in Artemisa and had to hand over his cell phone to the Police.

The crops that characterize that area of Artemis are potatoes, bananas and legumes / Invasor

14ymedio, Havana, July 31, 2024 — Filming a video and uploading it to social networks has cost Norberto Muñoz Palomino a fine of 20,000 pesos, his job and the loss of his cell phone, which has been held for weeks by the Alquízar Police, in the province of Artemisa. The images transmitted by this resident of the community of Pulido, last February, showed a group of people looting a potato field.

In the video, published on Facebook, one can see the long furrows of potatoes belonging to a state company and dozens of area residents filling sacks with potatoes and taking them away. “Man, look at that, people ran into the field, and there is no one to stop them,” says the man posting the video.

Muñoz Palomino also adds that “they are so hungry, not even the special brigade is stopping them,” alluding to the troops of the National Special Brigade of the Ministry of the Interior, also known as “black berets.” The short film was quickly disseminated on social networks, independent news media and channels in South Florida. In a few hours, thousands of Internet users had seen the images.

“Shortly after that I was summoned by the police,” Muñoz Palomino tells 14ymedio. After an interrogation in the Alquízar Police Unit, he was fined 20,000 pesos under Decree Law 370 that allows the authorities to sanction social media users for the opinions they express or the content they disseminate. The agents also kept his cell phone and so far have not returned it. continue reading

“It’s been a hard blow because now I have been left incommunicado and without a job,” says Muñoz Palomino, who adds that after the incident he lost his contract in the state company and nobody in the area wants to hire him as an agricultural worker, a job he performed when he filmed the scenes of the potato theft. In the town of Pulido, on the outskirts of the city of Alquízar, the chances of earning a living, beyond the countryside, are scarce.

With a long and narrow street, Pulido has traditionally been a village of farmers, and after the nationalization of most of the land around it, its inhabitants work mainly in the Basic Cooperative Production Units of the area. The crops that characterize that part of Artemisa are potatoes, bananas, legumes and also garlic and onions.

The inhabitants of the town have been forced to seek their livelihoods in other municipalities

The nearby Pre-University Institute in the Socialist Republic of Romania Field, which in the 80s and 90s was also a source of employment for the residents of Pulido, ceased to function almost 20 years ago as a teaching center. The inhabitants of the town have since been forced to seek their livelihoods in other nearby municipalities such as Güira de Melena or in the municipal capital, Alquízar.

“Not being able to have a job here is a condemnation,” Muñoz Palomino tells this newspaper. In addition, he has already had to pay the 20,000 pesos of the fine to avoid the amount “accumulating and being greater.” That amount of money approaches half a year of the salary he earned as an agricultural worker. He sums up his annoyance: “Just for showing the truth; I didn’t deceive anyone.”

Now, his hope is that they will return his cell phone as soon as possible, but the police have told him that the device is being analyzed to “review its content and the contacts” that Muñoz Palomino has stored on his cell phone. Meanwhile, to communicate, he appeals to family and friends, but he is still unemployed.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The Tobacco Growers of Sancti Spíritus Violate the Golden Rule of the Cigar

Three companies want to accelerate the curing of the leaf with solar heaters to increase production

The province wants to speed up the curing of the leaf to increase cigar production / Escambray

14ymedio, Juan Izquierdo, Havana, 31 July 2024 — Sancti Spíritus has initiated a series of tobacco “experiments” that violate the golden rule of the cigar: never produce it in mass. The idea – supported by an “unpublished investment” of the monopoly Habanos S.A. – is to enhance the controlled curing of the leaf, a euphemism that hides accelerated production by artificial means.

The curing process, which normally requires between 45 and 55 days, will now take only one month. Three producers from the municipality of Cabaiguán – the tobacco-growing territory par excellence in the center of the country – are the “pioneers” of the new process, which aims, even if the official press does not mention it, to remedy the terrible results obtained by the province last year, the worst in its productive history. Only one-sixth of the tobacco that was harvested was good enough for export.

Now, and against the basic rules of a crop where there are no short cuts to achieve excellence, the province wants a quick curing of the leaf for more cigars and better quality. The “new project” has solar heaters to accelerate the drying, which Escambray celebrates because Habanos S.A. also paid for them as a strategy to “reduce the consumption of electricity and fossil fuel.” continue reading

The province’s Communist Party newspaper admits that the investment still has no “use value”

The first signs of failure are already there: the province’s Communist Party newspaper admits that – although they have been experimenting with this method for two years – the investment still does not have “use value” and that not a single cigar has been exported with the new method, although the producers say that there is “a high degree of progress” in the project’s infrastructure.

To recover the status of “leading territory” of the cigar, along with Pinar del Río, is the aspiration of the three state producers who have benefited from the investment. Yoandi Rodríguez, Aniskyn de la Cruz and Nelson González intend, in their words, to “bring technology closer to the field.”

“The cigar is less damaged” than when it dries naturally – a process with several centuries of implementation – argue the producers, who promise to increase the amount of exportable leaf. However, the result has to go through the review of the experts and Cuba’s very demanding international customers, who quickly detect any drop in the quality of a product that is very expensive.

The producers centralized the whole process in their cooperatives, from planting to curing

The producers centralized the whole process in their cooperatives, from the planting to the curing, drying and picking of the leaf that is then sent to province’s factories. Sancti Spíritus has tried to improve the fast-track production numbers at any cost, given that the regime chose the province as the venue of the July 26 events and the harvesters were required to be “up to the task” of the “honor.”

This was the case of the Roberto Rodríguez Cigar Factory for Export, which produced 4,000 cigars a day – 96,000 units a month – during the first quarter of 2024. The Roberto Rodríguez takes care of the premium cigars that Sancti Spíritus delivers to Habanos S.A., which end up in the luxury humidors of Spain, China, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

Its principal brands are Cohiba, Montecristo, Romeo and Juliet, Partagás, Rey del Mundo, Bolívar, San Luis and Trinidad, the cigar “invented by Fidel Castro” that the regime has vigorously promoted this year.

Roberto Rodríguez’s tobacco growers are paid 27,000 pesos per month – in April there were 40,000 – thanks to the fact that international sales skyrocketed by “180%,” its director alleged. The money has contained the “fluctuation of the workforce,” as the official called the stampede of state workers that characterized 2023. Now the factory staff is “almost covered.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The Example of María Corina Machado in Venezuela

Despots never forgive those who challenge them

Opposition leader María Corina Machado greets several supporters during a campaign event for opposition candidate Edmundo González, on July 5, 2024, in Caracas / EFE / Ronald Pena R

14ymedio, Pedro Corzo, Miami, 7 July 2024 — A paragraph from the Venezuelan national anthem exhorts citizens to follow the example of commitment to freedom that “Caracas gave,” a sign that is repeated today by the massiveness and spontaneity with which the population, from all corners of the country, supports the leader María Corina Machado in her effort to remove Nicolas Maduro and his front men from government.

I feel very proud when I see hundreds of thousands of citizens ignoring the limitations imposed on the electoral campaign by the autocracy of Maduro and Diosdado Cabello. These men and women know that they are being identified and can be victims of repression, just like those who call them to action. Despots never forgive those who challenge them.

On the other hand, it must be acknowledged with no less pride that Venezuelans have found inspiration in Maria Corina Machado. The work of the opposition is very complicated, especially when it faces despotism, which is why, establishing a leadership that represents a committed majority willing to fulfill the task at all costs is a luxury of power that very few people have been able to afford.

It is easy to see how these regimes share information and techniques of social control through the similarities in their repressive practices and legislation.

This woman’s commitment to freedom and democracy is hard to find in history, and although, as journalist Alexis Ortiz states, “María Corina will be the president of all Venezuelans by popular election at some point in our future,” it is difficult to find cases in which a candidate with such a notable ability to mobilize people unhesitatingly supports another candidate in order to achieve the common goal of freedom for all. continue reading

Machado’s love for Venezuela is unquestionable. She has given up her leadership in order not to deny the triumph of democracy if this is possible. An example that the opponents of Castro-Chavism in Bolivia, Nicaragua and Cuba and even the rest of the Venezuelan opposition should follow.

The entire Venezuelan people, like the Nicaraguan, Bolivian and Cuban people, have been victims of an international organization of criminals who share tactics and strategies to achieve and maintain power with any subterfuge at their disposal, always preferring repression and violence.

It is easy to see how these regimes share information and techniques of social control through the similarities in their repressive practices and legislation. It is also assumed that Cuban officials, who over the years have assisted the Venezuelan repressors, are currently participating in the restrictions that have been imposed on the opposition campaign, particularly in the controls to which they subject María Corina Machado.

Machado has been able to interpret, like no other opposition leader, the spirit of rebellion of all the people who feel free in their country and who take to the streets to demand their rights, overcoming the natural fears generated by a struggle in which the enemy knows no scruples.

With this negative scenario, I wonder if the opposition, Machado herself, has thought about what to do if the despots act on their undemocratic conditions and deny their defeat.

However, I confess that I am not an optimist and believe that the enemies of democracy, the Castro-Chavistas , never recognize the rights of others and are always ready for any trick to remain in power and can decide, under any pretext, to suspend the elections or disqualify the opposition candidate as they did with Machado.

Furthermore, the Maduro government and its criminal associates are aware of the broad popular support that María Corina Machado has earned with great perseverance, courage and dignity, and that respecting the will of the electorate can remove them from power with all the consequences that such an event would entail, which could result in denying the victory of their opponents.

Given this negative scenario, I wonder if the opposition, including Machado, has thought about what to do if the despots act on their undemocratic conditions and deny their defeat. Is there any strategy on the part of the opposition to claim victory if it is rationally irrefutable? If Maduro perpetuates himself in power once again, I do not believe that the people will believe in elections again.

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The Suicide of the Venezuelan Dictatorship

At this early hour no one knows if the fascists will be able to get away with it. Let us hope not.

Chavismo, far from intimidating people’s desire for change, exacerbated it. / EFE

Humberto García Larralde (El Nacional reprinted in 14ymedio), Caracas, 30 July 2024 — Who in their right mind would believe that the person who devastated the country, ruined its economy, destroyed public services, caused the migration of a quarter of the population, ended the possibility that the majority could enjoy dignified livelihoods, repressed and mocked people with promises that he never fulfilled could win free elections? How can we believe that the Venezuelan people, after so much suffering, have rewarded at the polls the worst government that the country has known in its history?

The fascists never asked themselves these questions because, for them, they never made sense. As an expression of the best interests of the people – the “revolutionaries” – the election could only confirm their candidate. The people can vote, yes, but not for someone else! For months they have given themselves the task of committing all the abuse and crimes they could think of, disqualifying candidates, inventing conspiracies to arrest opposition figures, harassing activists, hindering, in any case, popular mobilizations, preventing the arrival of international observers, hogging the media and lying, lying, lying. But far from intimidating the people’s desire for change, they exacerbated it. Aware that they were going to be definitively defeated, they decided, then, to commit fraud.

Aware that they were going to be definitively defeated, they decided, then, to commit fraud

And they set up the farce. First, they would not give the opposition witnesses copies of the ballot counts in those centers where they could get away with it. Then they would prohibit Delsa Solórzano, Vice President of the Parliamentary Human Rights Commission, from entering the room of the CNE where the votes were being tabulated. Before, in the hours when the vote was still going on, they would record Jorge Rodríguez and Diosdado Cabello, smiling, congratulating the “people” for the vote, at the same time that Oscar Schémel was posting on his site (Hinterlaces) – despite the alleged prohibition of announcing results before the CNE – an exit poll pointing out the “triumph” of Maduro in the same proportions as Amoroso, the Comptroller General of Venezuela, would finally announce.

And all this, despite the fact that video after video showed the people celebrating, in each voting center, Edmundo’s forceful victory over Maduro by two or three to one. Confirmed, in addition, by the reliable exit polls that were made known. But no, Maduro won! What cynicism, what disrespect and contempt for the will of the people. continue reading

One of the most odious characteristics of ideologically inspired autocracies – such as the fascist one in Venezuela – is their arrogance and overbearing manner. Owners of an indisputable truth built from the ideology with which they justify their rise to power, they are impervious to all criticism. Believing to have discovered the mysteries of history by having led a “revolution,” they unfold an alleged moral superiority to make fun of everything that refutes their rhetoric.

In possession of the machinery of the State, they do not acknowledge the rights of anyone who does not join them, protected by the conviction that they are “right” and will advance the “good” by “revolutionary” power. And as they are the “revolution,” the defense of their interests – their privileges, immunity and the spoils they have taken – absolves them from any abuse executed for that purpose.

The transcendent ends involved make History the supreme judge. And they are its custodians. And the more power they accumulate, the more they need to take refuge in the tricks with which they justify the dismantling of the rule of law and the imposition of a despotic exercise in which, par excellence, reason will always be on their side. The anomie of the powerful.

The classical Greeks referred to similar postures of arrogance and absolute power as hubris, an excessive pride and dangerous overconfidence with respect to one’s own limitations, which pervert a person’s treatment of others and their environment. It is the arrogance that blinds dictators, because, drunk with power, they confuse the real possibilities of something happening with their particular pretensions. And they make mistakes, undermining their position of dominance. Subsumed in their ideological bubble, they lose the ability (or interest) to correct themselves. It is reality that must adapt to their designs. The reason of force above the force of reason.

Now the first reactions at the international level require Maduro to make a clear accounting. The people cannot resign themselves to such a crude swindle

At this early hour no one knows if the fascists will be able to get away with it. Let us hope not. Democratic leadership feels, at the moment, the enormous weight of the responsibility it must assume to win freedom. Now the first reactions at the international level require Maduro to make a clear accounting. It is difficult for the people to resign themselves to such a crude swindle.

What “legitimacy” did the Chavo-Maduristas win with such a vulgar fraud? Who do they think they are fooling? Was “peace and tranquility” achieved? Was the path paved to attract investments and generate employment? Can the surrounding countries trust that the migratory flow heading their way will not increase? Will the sanctions be lifted? Will the International Criminal Court and the UN Human Rights Council desist from their investigations in the face of these results? Will the door of a transitional justice, conditioned on the return to democracy, still be open?

I repeat, it is very difficult to know what is going to happen. But I am convinced that the farce they mounted clearly seems to be their suicide. History will NOT absolve them!

Note: This text has been published by the Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional, which authorizes this newspaper to reproduce it.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Protests in Venezuela Against Electoral Fraud Increase While Havana Supports Maduro

The number of deaths in the protests against the electoral result has now risen to 11, according to an NGO
Most countries on the continent and the EU insist that without the verified ballots, the victory that Maduro proclaims will not be recognized

Several statues of Chávez were demolished this Monday in Venezuela. / EFE

EFE (via 14ymedio), Madrid/Caracas, July 30, 2024 — The disputed official results of the presidential elections in Venezuela, which grant victory to President Nicolás Maduro, resulted in protests in Caracas and several regions of the country this Monday. Several have been repressed by the military, while the majority opposition ratified “the victory” of its candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, with 70% of the votes.

Within the framework of the demonstrations, a total of 11 people have died, according to the non-governmental organization Foro Penal, which leads the defense of political prisoners in the country.

Of the total, five were “murdered” in Caracas, two in the state of Zulia (northwest), two in Yaracuy (west), one in Aragua (north) and one in Táchira (west). Two of them were minors, aged 15 and 16 years old, said Foro Penal, Justicia, Encuentro y Perdón (JEP), Provea y Laboratorio de Paz at a press conference.

The total for the protests is six deaths and 749 detainees who face various charges, including that of “terrorism”

Meanwhile, at least 749 people have been arrested in Venezuela. The Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, offered an assessment of the performance of the security forces within the framework of these demonstrations, which also resulted in 48 injured police and military personnel.

Saab did not talk about the injuries suffered by the demonstrators who were repelled with tear gas and battering rams, according to the EFE agency in the Venezuelan capital. In his opinion, the arrested demonstrators are “criminals” who did not participate in peaceful protests but generated violence. They are accused of the crimes of public instigation, obstruction of public roads, incitement to hatred, resistance to authority and, “in the most serious cases, terrorism.” continue reading

The Minister of Defense of Venezuela, Vladimir Padrino López, denounced a coup d’état “forged again” by “fascist extremist right-wing factors,” alluding to the protests. He says that the alleged coup d’état is supported “by imperial factors, American imperialism and its allies.”

In the country, sleepless due to the late announcement of the first bulletin, the demonstrations began after noon, especially after the National Electoral Council (CNE) proclaimed Maduro president, in power since 2013. He received, according to CNE, 51.2% of the votes, compared to 44.2% for González Urrutia.

EFE noted the passage of hundreds of motorcyclists through one of the main avenues of Caracas, the vast majority coming from Petare, the largest favela [slum] in the nation, some of whom dragged posters of Maduro’s campaign with the face of the Chavista leader. At the same time that there were multiple protests in other areas of the capital, as well as in 20 states, according to NGOs.

The anti-chavista leader María Corina Machado, González Urrutia’s main supporter, said that the protests were “spontaneous and legitimate expressions” of a people whose “future was being stolen by an illegitimate regime.”

In Caracas, citizens chanted slogans such as “You see, you feel, Edmundo is president,””Maduro we don’t love you” and “I don’t want bonuses, I don’t want CLAP (subsidized food distribution program), what I want is for Nicolás to leave,” among others.

Several people told EFE that the authorities have “stolen the elections,” which is why they decided to leave their homes to express their discontent.

“We are claiming our rights; the elections were won by Edmundo González together with María Corina Machado, and it turns out that the elections have been stolen once again in the country. We are now tired of that. We have children, we have grandchildren, boys who are studying, who will never get ahead with this Government,” said an elderly man.

EFE confirmed that troops of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) and the Bolivarian National Police used tear gas and fired buckshot

EFE found that members of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) and the Bolivarian National Police used tear gas and fired buckshot at the demonstrators who were peacefully protesting in an area of Caracas until the arrival of the troops, who arrested twenty of them.

During the day, in addition, at least four statues of the late President Hugo Chávez (1999-2013) were demolished.

Maduro, for his part, denounced “criminal” and “terrorist” acts, for which he blamed the majority opposition, grouped under the Democratic United Platform (PUD). He said that dozens of people involved in these actions have been arrested, which included – he pointed out – attacks on members of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB). According to the Government, at least 23 soldiers were injured.

González Urrutia promised Venezuelans that “the will expressed through their vote” will be “respected,” because “that is the only path to peace.”

“We have in our hands the ballots that demonstrate our categorical and mathematically irreversible triumph,” said the former ambassador, who thanked the international community for its solidarity and support.

Machado said that the majority opposition managed to obtain 73% of the votes cast in the presidential elections, which give, he said, the victory to González Urrutia, with an “overwhelming ” difference, contrary to what was announced by the CNE.

The former deputy indicated that, according to the percentage of ballots available to them, Maduro obtained 2,759,256 votes, while González Urrutia 6,275,182, and “they lost.”

Diplomatic sources cited by the newspaper O Globo claim that Maduro has promised the former Brazilian foreign minister, Celso Amorim, international adviser to the Brazilian president, Luz Inácio Lula da Silva, that he “will deliver the (electoral) ballots in the coming days.”

Maduro has promised the former Brazilian Chancellor, Celso Amorim, international advisor to the Brazilian president, Luz Inácio Lula da Silva, that he will “deliver the (electoral) ballots in the coming days”

Amorim, who has been in Caracas since Friday as an observer from Brazil, said before a meeting he had yesterday with Maduro, that he is “uncomfortable” with the possible lack of “transparency” of the process.

“I don’t necessarily doubt what is being said, but the (Venezuelan) Government said that it would supply all the ballots” from which Maduro’s victory has resulted, and “that has not yet happened,” said Amorim, who will be in the Venezuelan capital at least until this Tuesday and who also planned to meet with María Corina Machado.

Lula’s government emphasized that only when all the results are known will he pronounce on the victory attributed by the electoral authorities to Maduro.

For his part, Joe Biden will speak this Tuesday with Lula about the situation; the United States has expressed its doubts about the result. “By declaring a winner without the support of detailed ballots by district, the representatives of (Nicolás) Maduro have lost any credibility they might have about the alleged election results,” a senior U.S. official said in a call with journalists.

It’s the same position taken by the European Union, reiterated on Monday night by its chancellor, Josep Borrell, who pointed out once again that the results “have not been verified and cannot be considered representative of the will of the Venezuelan people until they are published and confirmed.”

The head of European diplomacy urged the CNE of Venezuela to “act with maximum transparency in the process of tabulating the results, including immediate access to the voting ballots of all the polling stations and the publication of the disaggregated electoral results.” According to Borrell, there are “reliable reports from national and international observers indicating that the elections were tarnished by numerous failures and irregularities.”

Meanwhile, the Governments of Uruguay, Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and the Dominican Republic expressed their deep concern about the development of the presidential elections and demanded the complete review of the results. All of them, along with three more, convened an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS) to be held this Wednesday.

All of them, along with three more, convened an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS) to be held this Wednesday

The Maduro Government has demanded that Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay “immediately withdraw their representatives from Venezuelan territory.” Peru responded by expelling the Venezuelan diplomats in Lima, giving them 72 hours to leave the country.

Caracas also announced the temporary suspension, from Wednesday, of commercial flights to Panama and the Dominican Republic.

Argentina, through its chancellor, Diana Mondino, thanked the Venezuelans who gathered in the vicinity of the country’s diplomatic headquarters in Caracas after being alerted to an alleged attempt to take over the diplomatic headquarters by a group of police.

The episode was denounced by one of the six opponents who have taken refuge in the official residence since March 26.

“Urgent. At this time, officers of the DAET (Directorate of Strategic and Tactical Actions of the Bolivarian National Police) intend to take the residence of the Embassy of Argentina in Caracas, where there are six asylum seekers from the campaigns of María Corina Machado and Edmundo González,” Pedro Urruchurtu Noselli, International coordinator of the opposition party Vente Venezuela (VV), denounced on X.

Leader María Corina Machado also warned about the incident during a press conference and said that she had been informed about the presence of “armed and apparently masked officers of the Bolivarian National Police,” before asking the press and the neighbors of the area to approach the place to ensure the safety of those who are sheltered there.

Cuba has also sent its “solidarity and support” in the face of what it described as “an imperialist siege, external interference” and “onslaught of the Right”

Meanwhile, Maduro received congratulations from countries such as Russia, China, Iran, Serbia, Nicaragua and Cuba, which has also sent its “solidarity and support” in the face of what it described as “an imperialist siege, external interference” and “onslaught of the right,” despite the fact that numerous left-wing governments on the continent and in other parts of the world have questioned the victory of Chavismo.

For the Cuban Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez, the criticism of Sunday’s process is part of a “media and political manipulation” aimed at “destabilizing and generating violence to attempt a coup against the Bolivarian and Chavista Government and the Civic-Military Union.”

He asked that “the popular will expressed in the results of the elections in Venezuela officially announced by the electoral authority be respected, in the face of the campaign of external interference that tries to ignore them.”

In addition, the Casa de las Americas has issued a statement from Havana in which, after congratulating Maduro on his alleged victory, it regrets that “Monroe’s spirit is still alive and active” and that the “new emboldened and euphoric fascism (…) reappears, with some sudden allies, to sow doubts about the cleanliness of the Venezuelan electoral authorities and request the intervention of the sinister OAS, always ready to legitimize the aggressions of the empire.”

On the other hand, the Christian Democratic Party of Cuba expresses its solidarity and “provides its full and unrestricted support to Edmundo González Urrutia” in a letter published on Tuesday in which it also expresses its support for international organizations to take charge of “the necessary and sufficient electoral claim, and to demand transparency to reliably recognize the decision of the Venezuelan people, in favor of their longed-for democracy.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The Celebration of a Bloody Failure / Cubanet, Luis Cino

It is an aberration that the Moncada carnage, which began a nightmare that seems endless after 65 years of dictatorship, became a national holiday.

Celbration of 26th of July / Poverty in Cuba. (Fotos: Cubadebate / CubaNet)sdsd

Cubanet, Luis Cino, Havana, 26 July 2024 — A few days ago, writing in 14ymedio, Yunior García Aguilera recalled when Fidel Castro, appearing on a State TV “Roundtable” [Mesa Redonda] segment in 2000, admitted that he could have avoided the attack on the Moncada Barracks and gone up the Sierra Maestra to begin the battle against the Batista regime.

This would have prevented the loss of 86 lives: 22 military personnel and 64 revolutionaries — eight who died during the assault and 56 who were killed by the soldiers after being taken prisoner.

Fidel Castro’s plan of using 160 men armed with pistols and 22 carbines to take the Moncada Barracks—Cuba’s second military fortress, defended by a garrison of a thousand men—had no chance of success.

Even assuming that they had managed to take Moncada, and that a large part of the Santiago population would have joined the revolutionaries, and that they had also managed to take the barracks of the National Police and the Navy, Santiago de Cuba would have become a mousetrap for them. Even if the Fidelistas had managed, as they had planned, to also take the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes barracks in Bayamo, they would not have been able to contain the army reinforcements that would come to Santiago. And it would have been difficult for the rebels to withdraw from the city, escape the bombings of government aircraft, and take refuge in the Sierra Maestra to start the guerrilla war. continue reading

But Fidel Castro, a delusional guy who was given to hatching the most outlandish plots, needed to make big headlines before taking up arms against the Batista regime. And he achieved that with the tragic debacle that was the attack on Moncada and, to top it all off, his subsequent statement with a title inspired by a quotation from Mein Kampf: “History will absolve me.”

Starting on July 26, 1953, and throughout the following decades, Fidel Castro’s specialty would be to take advantage of his setbacks and turn them into victories or, at least, into something that seemed like success or that he could present as such.

It is an aberration that the Moncada carnage, which began a nightmare that seems endless after 65 years of a dictatorship that has led Cuba to ruin, became not only the most exalted passage in Castro’s history but also a national holiday: the so-called “Day of National Rebellion,” the longest celebration of Castroism, with three holidays.

If it’s a matter of celebrating failures, they could have chosen, among many others, the Ten Million Ton Sugar Harvest that did not happen, the Havana Greenbelt [or Cordon], the energy revolution, the experiments that wiped out the country’s livestock, the destruction of the sugar industry or, more recently—in keeping with the post-Fidel-continuity regime—the Tarea Ordenamiento (Ordering Task) and its consequent uneconomic rearrangements.

But Castroism requires stories of martyrology, mourning, the cult of the dead. Like vampires, it needs blood.

Translated by: Alicia Barraqué Ellison

The Price of Vehicles Imported Into Cuba by Individuals Is Lowered but the Tariffs Will Be in Foreign Currency

According to the Minister of Transport, the proceeds will go to a fund to recover public transport and infrastructure

Vehicles like these, shown by Maravana, leave for Cuba from Miami, upon payment of the tariffs required by the company and Customs. (Maravana Cargo)

14ymedio, Madrid, 30 July 2024 — Cubans will be able to import vehicles from abroad at the same price as companies, although they will have to pay the tariffs in foreign currency. The measure is expected to take effect in November, as announced on Monday by the Minister of Transport, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, who advanced on Canal Caribe and the social networks of his department the general lines of the “update” of the rules, which are being carried out. Until now, individuals paid more than businesses, but when the reform enters into force the sales prices will be adjusted, said the official, “so they will not vary if the buyer is a legal or natural person”; therefore, “the prices will be lower than the current ones.”

This is intended, he said, to facilitate “people’s access, with the capacity to do so, to different alternatives to meet their mobility needs from their own resources.”

This is intended, he said, to facilitate “people’s access, with the ability to do so, to different alternatives to meet their mobility needs from their own resources”

With the money raised, Rodríguez Dávila said, a fund will be created, managed by the Ministry of Transport, which will be nourished by the tariffs and will be “destined for the recovery and development of public transport and its infrastructure.” continue reading

Among the novelties is the authorization to import mopeds and motorcycles that have a combustion engine or are hybrid as long as they are of low cylinder capacity, which opens the possibility of acquiring these vehicles, which until now had to be electric (the so-called motorinas). With this energy source, the options are extended to electric tricycles with more than two seats or with charging capacity, which can also be imported.

A special tax on the sale of vehicles is established that will depend on their type, ranging from 35% of total value for high-end ones to an exemption when it comes to electric vehicles assembled in Cuba. In addition, there will be a progressive tax, also, of course, in foreign currency, depending on the number of vehicles that people own above three for motorcycles, cars and trucks. There is a limit to the number bought in a period; people and companies are authorized to buy a maximum of six vehicles in five years.

Another novelty is the possibility of transmitting ownership of these goods, with the exception of state legal entities, which need authorization from the Council of Ministers to grant them to an individual, and foreign diplomats, who are governed by a special system.

In addition, “a onetime import of vehicles to people who are on official missions abroad is authorized, according to the conditions that will be established by their agencies.”

“A one-time import of vehicles is authorized to people who are on official missions abroad, according to the conditions that will be established by their agencies”

Finally, there is a measure aimed at the sale in national currency, detached from import, which is the possibility of acquiring the vehicles that are available in the Cuban market, including those that conclude their operation in the tourism sector, provided that they are in good technical condition. To date, the option has been limited by the low number of vehicles.

Thus, the authorities seem to have found the solution to the problems of the Cuban roads that, in the words of Manuel Marrero, are capable of “melting” quality cars. The minister believes that the new measures will contribute to “modernizing vehicles in the country, achieving greater road safety, stimulating national production and assembly, and the greater use of vehicles with clean energy.”

The statement has already been contested on social networks. “The same thing was said with the stores in MLC [freely convertible currency], that the money raised was going to be used to supply the stores in national currency. And nothing happened, it was just one more lie,” a user reacted to the Canal Caribe video.

Pending the articulation of these measures, what the authorities did let drop in detail is the painful road situation in which the collected currencies are allegedly intended to be invested.

In his speech in the National Assembly, the report of the Ministry of Transport delivered lethal data: of the 1,109,298 square meters of road surface affected by potholes, only 247,359 were repaired. Of the 127 kilometers of provincial and municipal roads planned for repair in the first half of the year, only 69 had been completed. Of the 25 hot and cold asphalt concrete plants operating in Cuba, 12 are “paralyzed by breakage.” This summary explains the high accident rate on Cuban roads, not to mention the shortcomings of public transport.

Last week, in an interview with 14ymedio granted by Alejandro Martínez, president of the car import company in Miami, Maravana Cargo, the businessman was optimistic about a possible legislative modification of the Cuban Government that, he considered, would be favorable to his interests. “It’s not about my optimism, it’s about being practical. Where there must be optimism is there, where the problems and the need exist. The impression I have is that it’s going to be the other way around. There will be a flexibilization of many things in that sense,” he said.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Cubadebate Targets the Disinformation Campaign About the Elections in Venezuela

Maduro’s campaign presents polls to counter the pro-opposition surveys

Urrutia and Machado sign committing to the “democratization” of the country in case of winning the elections / EFE/Henry Chirinos

14ymedio, Madrid, 25 July 2024 — The Cuban state press has rushed to shore up the disinformation campaign launched in Venezuela by the Chavista hosts to try to make people believe that Nicolás Maduro will win next Sunday’s elections. Faced with independent polls, which show the opposition candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, a clear winner, the Venezuelan Government has been airing its own polls for days that grant victory by a wide margin to the current president.

According to the government Center for Measurement and Interpretation of Statistical Data, reproduced by Cubadebate on July 20, Maduro has a “very high probability of winning with 53% of the votes.” The electoral results “are not polarized,” and participation “does not exceed 65%.”

The numbers are opposite to those shown by the most recent calculation of the Center for Political and Government Studies of the Catholic University Andrés Bello and the pollster Delphos, who estimated that González Urrutia would obtain approximately 4.9 million votes and Nicolás Maduro 2.9 million votes. In “any of the scenarios,” of high or moderate participation, these independent institutions said, there is “a difference ranging from 20% to 34% in favor of the opposition.” continue reading

Even more forceful was a survey published in May by Datincorp, considered the most reliable survey company in the country, which gave González Urrutia 62% support, compared to only 20% for Maduro. This pollster also highlighted an overwhelming participation of 75%.

The Chavista campaign does not only present its own polls but also tries to discredit the independent polls

The Chavista campaign does not present its own polls but also tries to discredit the independent polls. Thus, they talk about “fake surveys,” as in an article in the Mexican newspaper La Jornada, also reproduced by Cubadebate this Tuesday.

“It’s a mathematical market for experts using diverse methods, almost always attached to unsustainable syllogisms for illusionist operations. The problem is not the surveys (if they are scientific), but the ambushes of fallacies that they serve, knowingly or not. Since they no longer have ideas, they believe that they still have the numbers, and they manipulate them,” says the cryptic article, without providing supporting data.

In Venezuela, the mood on the street is torn between the hope of an opposition victory and the pessimism over Chavismo fraud, or that the Government will not recognize the results if they are flagrantly unfavorable, or that even, as Maduro recently threatened, there will “a bloodbath” if he loses. If there are protests, another unknown is what part the Armed Forces will play. For 25 years it has closed ranks with the Government, but like the majority of the population, it may feel optimistic.

Edmundo González Urrutia, 74, is a retired diplomat with a long career. He has repeated many times that he would never have expected to be a presidential candidate, but today the appreciation that the majority of Venezuelans profess for him is undeniable. Appointed by the Democratic United Platform (PUD) instead of María Corina Machado, the initial candidate and disabled by Maduro, “Egu,”as his supporters call him, has impacted the campaign with his relaxed manner and his brief but forceful speeches.

His image is not on any propaganda poster, unlike Maduro’s

González Urrutia has promised to improve deficient basic services, such as electricity, water, education and health, but he has essentially focused on the reconstruction of the institution of President and on reconciliation between Venezuelans. Likewise, he has emphasized dialogue, stating that he is willing to talk to anyone, even if they are representatives of Chavismo.

His image, curiously, is not on any propaganda poster, unlike Maduro’s, which floods every corner.

The efforts of the current president in the “marathon” of closing the campaign are considerable. Videos broadcast on social networks show some soulless rallies, with people passing by indifferently next to the screens where you can see and hear the president screaming. Jorge Rodríguez, head of the so-called “Comando de Campaña Venezuela Nuestra” and brother of Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, announced “mass acts” these days before the elections. Among them, a “motorized caravan” with more than 60,000 will perform “activities of agitation and will march throughout Caracas.”

In recent weeks, the resemblance of Maduro’s campaign to that of Daniel Ortega in 1990 in Nicaragua is surprising

In recent weeks, the resemblance of Maduro’s campaign to that of Daniel Ortega in 1990 in Nicaragua is surprising. He was called ‘el gallo enavajado‘ — the fighting rooster. Maduro uses a similar image, ‘el gallo pinto’. And in the images that allude to a “loving” candidate shown hugging children, with optimistic mottos (“The worst has already happened, we are recovering. With Maduro everything will be better” vs. “We will win and go ahead! Daniel, president. Everything will be better!!!”).

In both cases, the opponent – disqualified in the case of Venezuela – was a woman. In those Nicaraguan elections, Violeta Chamorro beat Ortega with almost 55% of the votes. Venezuelans hope that both campaigns will also be similar in that regard.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Culture Warriors and Power Struggles in Cuba

Who is Díaz-Canel grooming for a possible promotion? Jaime Gómez Triana, a shadowy cultural commissar

Fidel Castro with Alpidio Alonso and Abel Prieto, Cuba’s two most recent Ministers of Culture / Cubadebate

14ymedio, Yunior García Aguilera, Madrid, 27 July2024 — In Díaz-Canel’s recent closing address to the rubber-stamp National Assembly, the appointed president referred to a statement that was totally unrelated the rest of his speech. The focus of the address was supposed to be the economy. Therefore, one might logically have expected him to reference something an economist had said, or to mention a comment by an entrepreneur he had casually met on one of his endless walk-abouts around the island.

But no. He only mentioned the heroes of these supposed “success stories” in passing, as if to fulfill an obligation or justify the enormous expense of these junkets. It seems not a single one of their opinions was worth mentioning. Just blurting out their names, to elicit that primitive feeling of self-satisfaction: “Wow, the president talked about me. That’s me, the guy from the Santa Rosa estate.”

However, the person he did mention — by both first and last name, quoting from a long speech that the person had given — was a bland, virtually unknown figure who has been rising through the ranks of the powerful groups that promote cultural policies in Cuba. Aware that he had gone completely off-topic, Díaz-Canel justified this digression with a question. “Why do I choose to mention this, which seems so far removed from the harsh economic reality that we are facing right now?” He answered his own question with the usual refrain: That if Fidel, Raúl, Che, etc. . . That if socialist society, etc. . . continue reading

The herd of delegates applauded out of habit, as usual. But the two or three people whose suspicions can still be aroused immediately began adding things up and whispering in the corridors. The meeting seemed like the prelude to an imminent appointment. It was a sign of favor, the equivalent of when the alpha male in a troop of chimpanzees chooses another primate to pick the fleas off his back.

So who the hell was Díaz-Canel referencing with his random quote? Who is he grooming for a possible promotion? Jaime Gómez Triana. And who is that? readers may ask. Let’s take it step by step.

Our grandparents also had to put up with attacks on rock and roll and with Fidel Castro’s critiques of certain behaviors that he described as “Elvis Presley-ish”

Jaime’s thoughts are nothing new. They are part of a sermon on “cultural colonization” that former culture minister Abel Prieto broods over, day in and day out, hoping to be invited to international events alongside Ignacio Ramonet and Atilio Borón. It is a cyclical fight over whatever work a particular generation finds to be pseudo-cultural, banal or degrading.

That same rhetoric (and Jaime should know this because he is a playwright) was used against Cuba’s “teatro bufo” back in 19th century, when it was accused of being immoral, superficial, vulgar and unscripted.

Our grandparents also had to put up with attacks on rock and roll and with Fidel Castro’s critiques of certain behaviors that he described as “Elvis Presley-ish.” Our parents witnessed the crusade against “timba” in the 1990s, when very uptight comrades were horrified by its vulgarity. Jaime’s take is hardly original. It is the same argument that was used to justify the infamous Decree 349, which prohibits artists from performing in public without prior approval from the Ministry of Culture.

Jaime is clearly a smart guy. He has always stayed in the background, whispering in the ear of some deputy official. He knows he is not very attractive and is aware that he has a speech impediment which causes him to mispronounce words. However, given the current crisis surrounding the cultural commissars, it seems that he has been convinced to take on a much more visible role.

His colleagues do not remember him as a person with ideas or as someone remotely close to those in power. During his theater phase, he was quite close to Victor Varela and Nelda Castillo, who were known for speeches that were openly hostile towards the regime. But then the lad accepted a post as vice-president of the Saíz Brothers Association and sold his soul to the devil. Okay, maybe not the devil himself . . He sold it to Luis Morlote, a kind of junior devil. Thus, the lanky, blond Jaime and the standard-bearer of the purported “cultural avant-garde” began his ambitious ascent up the career ladder.

Power struggles in the cultural sector have been notoriously scandalous during these decades of dictatorship

Power struggles in the cultural sector have been notoriously scandalous during these decades of dictatorship. Iroel Sánchez was perhaps the last great leader of this cult, placing his hardline fanatics in strategic positions, dominating the media and trying to eliminate any rival in his quest for total control of the cultural sphere. But Iroel is dead and his followers’ days are numbered.

Abel Prieto is the consigliere who has survived the longest in the cultural mafia. He may have been the person most frightened by the mention of Gómez Triana during Díaz-Canel’s closing speech, especially since Jaime is now vice-president of Casa de la Americas. The former culture minister recently posted a homophobic tweet on X that may have made him new enemies among senior government advisers. They may want to “do a Biden” and convince him to step aside for reasons of age and mental health.

What is clear is that Cuba’s cultural map is being redrawn. The gangs seriously hate each other and are having fights to the death. No one should be surprised if, in the coming days, resignations and replacements are announced. The fact that Díaz-Canel mentioned Jaime at a completely unrelated event is not a coincidence. Team Morlote is on a roll and that suggests heads will roll.

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Japan’s Aid to Cuba: Medical Supplies, Buses and Now Support for Agriculture

14ymedio, Havana, 27 March 2024 [Note delayed translation] — It is only 62,000 euros, but “the contribution constitutes a message of solidarity from the Japanese people,” said Tokyo’s ambassador to Cuba Hirata Kenji this Tuesday, during the signing of a document with which his country begins a new cooperation project, this time in Pinar del Río. The program is intended to support the production of processed foods in the provincial capital city.

“It is important for the largest of the Antilles to develop agriculture and be self-sufficient, which is why our Government, through cooperation programs, accompanies the policy of sovereignty and food security,” added Kenji.

The international NGO Humanity and Inclusion participates in the project, and its representative on the Island, Amélie Teisserenc, stated that it is planned to enhance the availability of fresh food, which includes the installation of equipment for processing and refrigeration of bottled foods and transport vehicles in the Engineering I and El Vial organoponic plants, both affected by Hurricane Ian, which devastated the area on September 27, 2022. continue reading

The availability of fresh food is expected to be increased, including the installation of equipment for processing and refrigeration of bottled food and transport vehicles.

At the event, there was time to remember the United States and Fidel Castro. The first was called out as to blame by the provincial governor, Eumelín González Sánchez, who said that agriculture “requires a great effort today to provide food for the locals, given the limitations imposed every day by the United States blockade against Cuba.”

“Cuba spends large sums of money each year on food and it is important to develop the agricultural sector for the benefit of its citizens,” Ambassador Kenji replied in a more restrained tone.

González Sánchez credited the “initiative of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro,” for the urban farming program, which has been implemented for decades, he added, without considering that the phrase revealed the limited scope of this agriculture in a context like Cuba, where it is first necessary to produce on a large scale.

Just two weeks ago, Kenji participated in the closing ceremony of an event on Strengthening health capacity for the COVID-19 crisis , where he reviewed the health collaboration between his country and Cuba. The diplomat commented that among the projects is a program for the digitalization of diagnostic imaging.

In addition, he recited the donations that were part of this program, including an ambulance, 46 refrigerators for the conservation of vaccines, 1,400 thermometers and 1,200 special thermoses for transporting the doses.

Ultrasound and diagnostic equipment was also donated to 255 primary care centers and 13 hospitals, as well as the Finlay Vaccine Institute and the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology. He also detailed that 96,000 pregnant women benefited from programs for childbirth and postpartum care, as well as for the management of perinatal asphyxia.

Kenji expressed his satisfaction with the results of this cooperation, which he considered very modest despite being valued at almost 3 million dollars, and thanked UNICEF for the “good design of the project” and the Cuban health workers for their “magnificent performance.”

Kenji expressed his satisfaction with the results of this cooperation, which he considered very modest despite being valued at almost 3 million dollars

In 2022, Japan donated medical equipment worth 5 million dollars to 34 hospitals in the country, including 13 mobile X-ray machines, 44 ultrasound machines and 1,000 aspirators, as well as spare parts. This contribution was part of the non-reimbursable financial aid of the Economic and Social Development Program of the Government of Japan for Cuba, signed in 2016

In October 2021, as part of this agreement, Tokyo sent 44 ultrasound stations manufactured by Fujifilm for the diagnosis of various pathologies.

As a result of these agreements, 84 buses valued at 9 million dollars were also sent to the Island in January 2021. The vehicles left Colombia, where they were assembled by the Busscar company thanks to an agreement with Itochu Corporation and Isuzu Motors and were launched in February, almost a month after their arrival by which time doubts were beginning to arise about their effective operation.

Japan’s cooperation with Cuba, which has been in place for 60 years, has intensified since the 1990s, also covering community projects for human security and cultural assistance.

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Conditions of Isolation and Punishment in Cuban Prisons / Cubalex

CUBALEX, July 2024 — According to the Penal Execution Law, the conditions of solitary confinement and punishment in Cuban prisons do not meet international standards established by the Mandela Rules. The excessive length of solitary confinement, lack of independent review, and insufficient protection for vulnerable groups are significant incompatibilities that can lead to abuses and human rights violations. These practices not only affect inmates physically, but also have a devastating impact on their mental health and general well-being.

What do the Mandela Rules say?

The Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the Mandela Rules, set international standards to ensure that prisoners are treated with humanity and dignity. No form of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment is permitted. Practices such as indefinite solitary confinement, confinement in dark or always illuminated cells, and corporal punishment are prohibited. In addition, food or drinking water must not be reduced as punishment. Solitary confinement is defined as keeping an inmate without meaningful human contact for at least 22 hours a day. Prolonged solitary confinement refers to any isolation lasting more than 15 consecutive days. In Cuba, the law allows solitary confinement for up to three months, which does not meet these international standards.

Incompatibilities with the Cuban Penal Execution Law

Rule 45 of the Mandela Rules states that solitary confinement should only be used in exceptional cases, as a last resort, for as short a time as possible and with independent review. It should be authorised by a competent authority and should not be imposed on prisoners with physical or mental disabilities, women or children. However, the length of solitary confinement in a punishment cell in Cuba reveals a worrying difference between official regulations and actual practice. Under Cuban law, solitary confinement can last up to three months, which significantly exceeds the UN Mandela Rules, which consider prolonged solitary confinement for more than 15 days to be a violation of human rights.

Documented testimonies

Cubalex has documented numerous cases of persons deprived of their liberty who have suffered solitary confinement in punishment cells for periods that far exceed both national regulations and international standards. Among these testimonies, the cases of political prisoners such as Félix Navarro, who was in a punishment cell in Guantánamo prison from continue reading

May 11 to December 16, 2003, accumulating more than seven months in solitary confinement, stand out. Alfredo Felipe Fuentes and others imprisoned during the Black Spring of 2003 endured more than ten months in punishment cells in Guanajay prison. Alcibiades Idelmaro Brizuela, for his part, spent seven months in a punishment cell in Kilo 8, Camagüey, and then a year in solitary confinement on a floor of that prison. Lisandra Rivera spent three months and ten days in a punishment cell in Mar Verde women’s prison, Santiago de Cuba, in early 2017.

Arbitrary and precarious conditions

The reasons for placing a prisoner in a punishment cell are often arbitrary and varied, ranging from hunger strikes and rights claims to political activism and telephone complaints to independent media or family members. In some cases, prison authorities resort to this measure pre-emptively based on their assumptions about the prisoner’s behaviour.

The conditions of the punishment cells in Cuba are extremely precarious and degrading. The dimensions of these cells are very small, with some measuring only two metres wide by less than four metres long, including both the bathroom area and the dormitory. In some cases, these dimensions are even smaller, exacerbating the feeling of claustrophobia and extreme confinement. Sanitary facilities are equally poor; instead of proper toilets, there is a simple hole in the floor, known as a ‘Turkish bath’. The water supply is scarce and provided only once a day for a short period of time, making it difficult to maintain personal and cell hygiene.

Hygiene in these cells is deplorable. Inmates must clean their spaces with whatever means they can get, often facing insanitary conditions and insect infestations. Lack of adequate lighting and insufficient ventilation further aggravate living conditions; many cells have no windows or only small openings for ventilation. Furnishings are minimal and rudimentary: beds are often made of concrete or metal, often without mattresses, forcing inmates to sleep on hard, uncomfortable surfaces.

Torture and Punishment Practices

The use of solitary confinement in Cuba is not only limited to isolation, but often includes additional practices of torture and punishment. Prisoners may be handcuffed in painful positions and left like this for long hours, as was the case with Lisandra Rivera, who was handcuffed for 26 hours without access to food and water.

Treatment during solitary confinement is cruel and dehumanising. Deprivation of drinking water is also used as additional punishment, forcing inmates to consume contaminated or insufficient amounts of water. Cells are cold and damp, and adequate bedding is not provided. In many cases, prisoners are left in their underwear, intensifying their physical and psychological suffering. Reports of violence are alarming: inmates may be taken to punishment cells after brutal beatings by guards. Torture techniques are common and include hanging prisoners by handcuffs, throwing them down stairs while handcuffed, and handcuffing them face down, causing extreme pain and severe injuries.

In addition, prisoners on hunger strike are subjected to sleep interruptions, frequent cell changes and force-feeding, practices that seek to break their will and resistance. The psychological impact of these inhumane conditions and prolonged isolation is devastating, causing severe stress, anxiety and other psychological problems, often leaving lasting effects on the mental health of those affected.

Impact on prisoner health

The impact of prolonged solitary confinement on prisoners is devastating, affecting both their physical and mental health. Constant anxiety, tachycardia and other psychological problems resulting from the extreme stress of conditions of confinement are common. In addition, lack of adequate medical care and wilful neglect further aggravate the health conditions of prisoners, who often do not receive treatment for their ailments while in solitary confinement.

Incompatibilities between Rule 45 of the Mandela Rules and the Cuban Penal Enforcement Law

There is a clear incompatibility between the provisions of Rule 45 of the Mandela Rules and Articles 122, 127 and 137 of the Cuban Penal Execution Law. The discrepancies are significant and affect both the duration and conditions of solitary confinement.

Duration of Isolation

Article 122 of the Cuban Penal Execution Law allows solitary confinement in a security cell for up to 15 days for men and 10 days for women, juveniles under 20 years of age and those over 60 years of age. This provision deviates from Rule 45 of the Mandela Rules, which prohibits prolonged solitary confinement, defined as more than 15 consecutive days. Furthermore, Rule 127 defines solitary confinement as a disciplinary measure in more restrictive conditions and separate from the rest of the prison population. Article 137 allows the use of solitary confinement for up to three months to protect the physical integrity of the prisoner or the security of the prison, which far exceeds the acceptable limit under the Mandela Rules.

Rule 45 vs. Cuban Law: A Conflict in the Use of Isolation

The first incompatibility lies in the duration of solitary confinement. While Rule 45 states that prolonged solitary confinement should not be permitted, the Cuban Penal Execution Law allows for solitary confinement for up to three months. This represents a significant discrepancy and a possible violation of international human rights standards.

Secondly, Rule 45 specifies that solitary confinement should be used as a last resort and only in exceptional cases. However, the Cuban Penal Execution Law allows for the use of solitary confinement as a relatively common disciplinary measure, indicating that it is not necessarily considered as a last resort.

Isolation without independent review in Cuban prisons

Another incompatibility is the lack of independent review. Rule 45 requires that the imposition of solitary confinement be reviewed by an independent authority to ensure its proper use and prevent abuse. In contrast, the Cuban Penal Enforcement Law gives the head of the prison the authority to decide on solitary confinement without the need for external and independent review, which could lead to arbitrary decisions.

Protection of vulnerable groups

In addition, Rule 45 prohibits the solitary confinement of prisoners with physical or mental disabilities that could be aggravated under such a regime, as well as women and children in certain cases. Although the Cuban Penal Enforcement Law excludes some vulnerable persons, such as pregnant women, prisoners under the age of 18 and persons with disabilities, it also allows for exceptions that could lead to arbitrary use of solitary confinement without adequate external control.

Conclusions

In summary, the main incompatibilities between Rule 45 of the Mandela Rules and the Cuban Penal Enforcement Law lie in the permitted duration of solitary confinement, the lack of requirements for its use as a last resort, the absence of independent review and the insufficient protection for vulnerable groups. These discrepancies show that the Cuban Penal Execution Law does not comply with the international standards established by the Mandela Rules, which can lead to situations of abuse and violation of the human rights of prisoners.

It is crucial that the Cuban authorities undertake reforms to bring themselves in line with international standards, thus ensuring humane and dignified treatment of all prisoners. Independent monitoring and strict implementation of rules prohibiting prolonged solitary confinement and torture are essential steps towards the protection of human rights in prisons.

As citizens, it is important to be informed about these rights and to report any observed violations. Human rights organisations can provide support and advice to report these abuses and work towards a more just and humane prison system.

The post Conditions of isolation and punishment in Cuban prisons appeared first in Cubalex.

Translated by GH

The Council of Ministers Launches a System To ‘Monitor’ Violence Against Women in Cuba

According to the Attorney General, 72% of the victims were between 25 and 59 years old

The authorities say that most cases of violence against women occur in the family environment / Alas Tensas

14ymedio/EFE, Havana, July 29, 2024 — The Council of Ministers of Cuba approved this Sunday a national system of “registration, attention, following and monitoring” of gender violence and resulting femicides on the Island, the official media reported on Monday. The measure was presented by the Attorney General, Yamila Peña Ojeda, and will be made up of a group of 25 experts from the Ministry of the Interior and the Popular Supreme Court.

In an article published by Granma that reviews the meeting, the official media does not clarify whether the information collected on that platform will be made public. In any case, the newspaper says that it will be an “administrative register (…) for the management of criminal proceedings” that aims to “have statistical information for prevention in the fight against acts of gender violence,” especially in the family environment.

Peña proceeded to reveal statistics for gender violence on the Island, where in 2023, 75% of these cases occurred in family homes – “a trend that continues this year,” Granma clarifies. Seventy-two percent (72%) of the victims were between 25 and 59 years old; 45% were unpaid workers; and “the survivors who suffered mistreatment during a relationship were also identified, as were those who made previous complaints about threats or injuries that were sometimes withdrawn as part of the cycle of violence.” continue reading

In the case of the aggressors, 84% were partners or former partners of the victims, and 46% had attended school only up to the ninth grade

In the case of the aggressors, 84% were partners or former partners of the victims; 46% had attended school only up to the ninth grade; 40% worked, and 31% had a criminal record of violence. The Attorney General also pointed out that there were other common characteristics among the profiles of the aggressors, such as dissatisfaction with the rupture of the romantic relationship with the victims, the tendency to use the children “to inflict more suffering” and the use of knives and firearms.

Despite the policy of silence of the media and the authorities in the face of cases of gender violence, Peña defended the importance of managing figures and producing statistics to create prevention plans. Whether the figures will be made public was not clarified .

In Cuba, femicide is not classified as a crime, and information about gender murders in the official press is always scarce. Faced with this reality, it is the observatories and independent media who in recent years have carried out the count of cases, often hindered by the lack of access to criminal records and the fear of many families to report femicides or violence.

Cuba closed the first half of the year with 28 femicides verified by feminist groups, 43% less than in the same period of the previous year, a fall that activists attribute mainly to their growing difficulties in ratifying the information. In 2023, 87 people were killed, compared to 34 in 2022 and 36 in 2021.

In June of last year, the ruling Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) presented the Cuban Observatory on Gender Equality, which would include statistics of “women who have been victims of intentional homicide as a result of gender violence in the last 12 months.” The organization, however, limited itself to figures in 2022 and only includes femicides with firm sentences. So far the official platform has not disseminated the data that it planned to update at the end of June of this year.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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An ‘Exotic’ Plague of Bedbugs Decimates Bean Production in Guantánamo, Cuba

Due to the shortage of pesticides, this little parasite could spread to corn, sweet potatoes, rice, potatoes and sugar cane

In Guantánamo, about 55 hectares of legumes were damaged due to the plague / Escambray

14ymedio, Havana, July 29, 2024 — As if its disappearance from the Cuban markets wasn’t enough due to inflation and the price cap, the black bean has been facing another enemy since June. The black bedbug, a plague that the official press describes as “exotic” and that appears in Cuba for the first time, is threatening the vegetable crops on the Island.

The first affected municipalities were Imías, Maisí and Baracoa, in the province of Guantánamo, where the plague has devastated 55 hectares of pigeon peas [edamame], Peruvian white beans and green beans.

Bedbugs don’t even appear on the official list of quarantined pests on the Island, Judith Medina, head of the Plant Health department, told the local newspaper, but already “constitute a challenge for the Agriculture delegation.” According to the authorities, the black bedbug feeds on young or adult leaves and stems, causing “withering, discoloration and delayed growth.” continue reading

“Due to the wide range of hosts and the economic value of the plantations, surveillance in the planting of the bean has been intensified, as well as the training of the productive bases, peasants, technicians and the implementation of plant health measures to stop their spread,” clarifies Venceremos, which includes among the measures to combat the plague the use of insecticides such as Bimida, Bunker and Cipermetrina.

The shortage of pesticides and fertilizers on the Island has been recognized even by the government authorities, who question the ability of the Ministry of Agriculture to confront the plague. Coming from Asia, the black bedbug not only attacks the black bean, but is able to spread to other important crops on the Island, such as corn, sweet potato, rice, potato and sugar cane.

The bean has been suffering for weeks from the ups and downs of the price caps on several essential products

Meanwhile, the bean has been suffering for weeks from the ups and downs of the price caps on several essential products – including black beans – which has led to its sudden disappearance from the markets.

In a recent visit to the stalls of several merchants in Havana, 14ymedio learned about the cause of the absence: “The problem is that they want it to be sold below the price at which it was bought. We buy it at 340 pesos a pound and they (the Government) want us to sell it at 300,” a seller at Neptune and Gervasio explained to this newspaper.

On July 12, the governor of Havana, Yanet Hernández Pérez, signed a resolution fixing the maximum prices for agricultural products. The standard affects 21 products, which from now on will be marketed per pound in the following way: sweet potato, yucca and avocado, 45 pesos; malanga Colocasia, 75 pesos; Xanthosoma malanga, 100 pesos; plantain, papaya and pineapple, 50 pesos; burro banana, fruit banana, cucumber, guava and mango, 40 pesos; pumpkin, papaya and tender corn, 30 pesos; okra, 65 pesos; bean, 60 pesos; black bean, 300 pesos; red bean, 350 pesos, and rice, 180.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Díaz-Canel Applauds Maduro’s Electoral ‘Triumph’ Despite Multiple Indications of Massive Fraud

The US, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Guatemala and Costa Rica do not recognize the alleged reelection of the Chavista candidate
While Mexico and Brazil are careful to congratulate Chavismo until the vote count is finished

Rally convened in support of Edmundo González and María Corina Machado this Sunday in the Plaza de Colón, in Madrid / EFE

Agencies (via 14ymedio), Madrid, July 29, 2024 –The president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, sent his most “affectionate congratulations” to Nicolás Maduro on Monday, for what he described as a “triumph of dignity” after the National Electoral Council (CNE) announced the electoral results that granted him victory by 51.20% of the votes, compared to 44.2% for Edmundo González Urrutia.

On social network X, Díaz-Canel said that “the dignity and courage of the Venezuelan people triumphed over pressures and manipulations.” He added that he conveyed his “affectionate congratulations for this historic victory” to Maduro, whom he described as his “brother,” and he reiterated the Island’s commitment to “be with the Bolivarian and Chavista Revolution.”

Nor did Raúl Castro miss the opportunity. According to a note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he spoke by phone with Maduro to convey his “solidarity and affection.”

“We congratulate the Venezuelan people and President Nicolas Maduro for the electoral victory of this historic July 28. Great way to remember Commander Hugo Chávez” – Luis Arce, president of Bolivia

The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, during his usual morning address on Monday, called the official data confirming Maduro’s win as “information” but avoided formally congratulating him while waiting for the votes to be counted and to “see what the legal process shows.” continue reading

For their part, other governments friendly to Caracas, starting with the Bolivian Luis Arce and the Nicaraguans Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, husband and president and wife and vice president respectively, followed the line of Havana and had no qualms about congratulating Chavismo on its victory.

The spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Iran, Naser Kananí, also sent a message congratulating the Venezuelan regime on its election. “We congratulate the people and the government of Venezuela for the successful celebration of the presidential elections in the country, as well as the president-elect of the Venezuelan people,” he said on X.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran renews its support and solidarity with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to advance its national development programs and strengthen bilateral cooperation” – Naser Kananí, Iranian Foreign Minister

The spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Lin Jian, added at a press conference that China and Venezuela are “good friends and partners who support each other.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin also congratulated Maduro in a statement. “I would like to reiterate the willingness to continue our joint constructive work on the current bilateral and international agenda. Remember that you are always welcome on Russian lands,” said the Kremlin.

Former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, who currently resides in Belgium, also sent an emotional message to Maduro. “Glory to the brave people! Now it’s official,” he said when reviewing the results of the first report. “Congratulations to President Maduro and the Venezuelan people.”

The European Union (EU) also marked the line that, apparently, its member states will follow, with Spain and Italy being the first to position themselves. “It is vital to ensure the total transparency of the electoral process, including the detailed counting of votes and access to the voting records of the polling stations,” wrote the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell.

Many countries were concerned about the results, including the United States and Chile. From Tokyo, the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, expressed his “serious concern” about the validity of the announced results and questioned the legitimacy of the process as well as the representation of the “will” of the voters.

Blinken said: “We have serious concerns that the results announced do not reflect the votes or the will of the Venezuelan people”

Likewise, Chilean President Gabriel Boric spoke out against the results, classifying them as “difficult to believe.” Boric said in the early hours of Monday that his country will not recognize “any result that is not verifiable.”

Others have joined the list of governments that have condemned the electoral results in Venezuela and have expressed their doubts about the process, including Peru, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama. The latter even announced that it will “suspend” diplomatic relations with the Venezuela.

The president of Argentina, Javier Milei, rejected the Venezuelan electoral results in the early hours of Monday. Milei said that his country “will not recognize another fraud” in Venezuela and argued that the citizens of that country “chose to end the communist dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro.”

Through his account on the social network X, Milei published: “Argentina will not recognize another fraud and hopes that the Armed Forces (of Venezuela) this time will defend democracy and the popular will,” emphasizing that this was his position even before the official CNE results were known. This earned an immediate response from Maduro who at a celebratory event, early Sunday morning, attacked Milei, calling him a “fascist Nazi.”

In Brazil, the Government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva celebrated the “peaceful character” of the elections but said it will wait for the totality of the results before pronouncing itself. According to a note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the country is waiting for the publication of all the results “detailed by polling station.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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