Posted on 03/24/2015 6:20:04 AM PDT by Reaganite Republican
Shortly after launching his 2016 presidential bid, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz went on Sean Hannity’s show on Fox News for a full hour Monday night where he told the story of how his Cuban-born father, Rafael Cruz, fought against the dictator in charge of Cuba at time, Fulgencio Bautista, more than a half century ago.
But Mr. Cruz, 44, didn’t once mention that his father actually had fought for Fidel Castro in the early stages of the Cuban Revolution.
His dad fled the Bautista regime in Cuba in 1957, nearly two years before Castro forces succeeded in overthrowing the Bautista dictatorship.
Rafael Cruz eventually turned against Mr. Castro when he realized the revolutionary leader was a serious Marxist-Leninist who nationalized virtually every private business on the island and expropriated US. and other foreign-owned property.
In sync with the younger Cruz, Mr. Hannity also never mentioned Mr. Castro once during the entire interview with Mr. Cruz...And WHO CARES?
I know some Cuban Americans who spit every time JFK is mentioned. They blame him for Castro. So, if at one time Castro fooled JFK, then he probably also looked good to Cruz’ father, especially compared to the existing regime.
Cruz father fought for Fidel Castro when the U.S. via CIA was supporting Castro.
So to imply his father was a communist is absolute nonsense.
A lot of people in Cuba thought Castro was going to liberate them from Bautista. They had no clue he was a commie. I went to high school with two brothers who’s father owned a radio station in Havana. He did everything to help Castro and then shortly after the the overthrow Castro repaid him and many others by seizing their business’s and lands. So they had to flee to the US. I cannot tell you how many Cubans I know with similar stories.
I’m sorry but I can’t tell which quote is from the article or words of the writer. Additionally, his father left Cuba two years before Castro took over and yet FOUGHT for Castro?
Is one a statement from the article and the other contradicting it by the writer?
“But Mr. Cruz, 44, didn’t once mention that his father actually had fought for Fidel Castro in the early stages of the Cuban Revolution.
His dad fled the Bautista regime in Cuba in 1957, nearly two years before Castro forces succeeded in overthrowing the Bautista dictatorship.””
“”I bet he has a smackdown already prepared for the first lib reporter to ask him about it.””
That would just be heaping stupidity on stupidity. They didn’t squawk when obozo announced normalizing relations with Cuba so they’d look pretty ditzy complaining about Cruz’s father.
The details seem murky to you, then perhaps you didn’t listen to Cruz when he spoke to Hannity. Cruz was very clear. His father worked with a group of fellow students to rebel against Batista. He was arrested for those activities and beaten while he was in jail.
If you read any Cuban history of the time you will see that students were integral in the rebellion and many were jailed, killed and tortured. You seem to be saying that Cruz’s father is a liar when you yourself don’t understand the facts.
If you are going to call the Cruzs flat out liars, you need some proof.
Cruz's father was imprisoned by Batista, received bad beatings, was part of the revolution, and reached America at age 18 after escaping from Cuba.
Country Club Republicans. ..
His dad was fighting for a revolution against a dictator, what was he, 15? He didn’t know the revolutionary leader would becomes the next commie dictator. and he ended up leaving, and still made big mistakes in life (leaving his wife and little baby Ted).
Let’s not elect Ted because his father made some mistakes.
Good thing Obama and Clinton’s fathers didn’t make any mistakes.
With the enthusiasm that Rush has been on Walker’s jock over the past 2 months, I was pleasantly surprised to tune into rush batting for Cruz over the last 2 days.
Both are worthy of consideration, and Rush recognizes it.
The details are murky: what were the dates, which prison was it, was it one of the many student groups unaffiliated with Castro, or was it directly affiliated with Castro?
Tales often grow in the retelling, not because of malice, but because of being recontextualized.
Was this the Directorio? The Federacion? Was this the Havana riots?
This time in history was pretty well documented. Some more information would be helpful.
Where? On what charges? For how long? Why was he let go, or did he escape from prison?
received bad beatings
As part of routine prison guard abuse, or was he specifically tortured for information?
was part of the revolution
Which one? There were several, some of which were condemned by Castro.
and reached America at age 18 after escaping from Cuba
"Escaped" as part of a prison break? Or just emigrated?
LOL, yes you are.
You just did. Rafael Cruz was a part of the revolution for about 4 years, he went to prison under Batista and he was beaten, and he escaped to America and got a degree in mathematics from the University of Texas and today is a Southern Baptist minister.
If someone else were saying this it would be one thing to demand proof, but this is his own bio and repeated by Senator Cruz, so until you find proof that they are lying, you should lighten up on your accusatory tone.
No revolutionary movement in Batista's Cuba lasted four years.
There were multiple revolutionary groups that started, merged, disappeared, etc. from 1953 to 1959.
There was no unitary "revolution" in Batista's Cuba.
he went to prison under Batista and he was beaten, and he escaped to America
What does "prison" mean? Was he arrested and jailed briefly during a riot, or was he imprisoned and sentenced? He apparently was given an official exit visa by the Batista government that allowed him to file paperwork with the US consulate to obtain a student visa - so what do you mean by "escaped" exactly?
you should lighten up on your accusatory tone.
At no point has my tone been accusatory.
this is his own bio and repeated by Senator Cruz
That's great. But statements made by the Senator sometimes imply that he fought with Castro, sometimes not, they imply that he was some kind of committed revolutionary fighter - which, if true, would not have enabled him to get the blessing of the Batista government to apply for a student visa in America.
Why would they torture and beat him and imprison him, and then say: "even though you are a violent revolutionary , we're happy to help you get a great education in America" - especially when the Senator has said that his father threw Molotov cocktails and blew up buildings.
A little more context would be helpful.
Rafael was a revolutionary from 1953 through 1957.
So far all you are doing is trolling, what does prison mean? Evidently it means prison, until you can prove differently.
His escape involved subterfuge and bribery.
Since you don’t have any evidence that they are lying, why are you trolling so hard?
How about rather than sounding like a child, you go and do your research, post the facts that make them liars about the details of Rafael’s life, and then we can see what the issue is?
Rafael did fight for Castro, and he says the prison was on an Army base, he says that technically it wasn’t an official prison, but part of the Army’s base, and that they brutally tortured him and told him they were going to execute him.
“The Cuban communist revolutionary and politician Fidel Castro took part in the Cuban Revolution from 1952 to 1959. Following on from his early life, Castro decided to fight for the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista’s military junta by founding a paramilitary organisation, “The Movement”. In July 1953, they launched a failed attack on the Moncada Barracks, during which many militants were killed and Castro was arrested.”
With what group?
Or did he just have a generally rebellious attitude through his teen years?
So far all you are doing is trolling, what does prison mean? Evidently it means prison, until you can prove differently.
I know that you are well aware that there is a difference between being in jail and being in prison.
Someone gets arrested during a riot, the cops beat him up, hold him in jail for a few days, let him go.
Or
Someone is a violent revolutionary, is arrested, is sent away to a prison, is systematically tortured and beaten for montsh or longer.
Big difference.
His escape involved subterfuge and bribery.
He changhed his name? He disguised himself? Was he in prison and then smuggled out to the US consulate?
How about rather than sounding like a child
I'm not the one calling people names.
you go and do your research
Have I done my research on Batista's Cuba already? I certainly have. Which is why I have questions about details. As far as research on rafael Cruz, there is not a ton of information out there - mostly statements that Senator Cruz has made to the press, statements that paint a very vague outline of the story.
post the facts that make them liars about the details of Rafael’s life
I am not interested in making anyone out to be a liar.
What the Senator has said:
(1) His father was a guerrilla who threw Molotov cocktails, blew up buildings and fought "on the same side" as Castro.
(2) His father was imprisoned and tortured.
(3) His father was given an exit visa by the Batista government and the paperwork for a USstudent visa.
(4) The Batista government only negotiated one amnesty with revolutionaries, in 1955. In 1957 there was martial law - revolutionaries were not being amnestied, pardoned, released, or being given student visas to the USA.
(5) The US was backing Cantillo, not Castro, and was not in the habit of giving out student visas to criminal aliens at that time - which is what the State Department would have considered an imprisoned, bomb-throwing revolutionary in 1957.
*””Or did he just have a generally rebellious attitude through his teen years?””*
Yep, just trolling.
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