Jesse Ventura in Cuba

Jesse Ventura in Cuba By Myles Kantor FrontPageMagazine.com | October 1, 2002 http://frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=3505

The first governor of Minnesota, Henry Sibley, held office from 1858 to 1860. Imagine that, during his tenure, Governor Sibley visited slave plantations in South Carolina. When asked about abolishing slavery, he responded, "Ultimately it is the decision of the slaves, not ours. It is the slaves' state, and if there are going to be changes in South Carolina it will be the slaves who make those changes."

Sibley's response would have been oblivious to the nature of South Carolina's social order. Since enslaved individuals had no freedom of speech, assembly, political participation, or the right to bear arms, it was a bit tough for them to make changes. Furthermore, the violence perpetrated upon rebellious slaves terrorized others into submission (not to be conflated with consent). Minnesota's current governor has made Sibley's fictional response a reality.

Jesse Ventura recently visited Havana "to hopefully expand business between my state of Minnesota and Cuba." He responded when asked about political change in Cuba, "Ultimately it's up to Cuba, it's not up to us. It's their country, and if there are going to be changes in Cuba it will be the Cubans who make those changes."

This begs the question, "How are Cubans supposed to make those changes, Governor Ventura?"

Only adherents of communism can politically participate in Cuba; non-communists can't hold office or establish parties to contest the Communist Party. (Ventura describes himself on his homepage as "the first-ever Reform Party candidate to win statewide office," so one would expect some indignation over the absence of pluralism under Castro.)

Neither can Cubans establish their own media or gather to discuss ideas. Former diplomat in Cuba Catherine Moses observes in Real Life in Castro's Cuba, "If people were permitted to meet in groups, they might be able to organize and create a real opposition to Fidel Castro." With savage logic, Castro therefore criminalizes conscientious association.

Accordingly, it's a crime to criticize communism, Castro, and his henchmen. Ventura said, "That's one of the great things about the United States: You always have the ability to disagree." How much Cubans yearn to be able to disagree with Castro!

Every totalitarian regime entails a colossal police apparatus, and Castro's is no exception. His ubiquitous secret police and informers terrorize Cubans and chill dissent.

It will come as no surprise that there's no right to bear arms in Cuba. Castro understands that armed Cubans would not remain enslaved for long, so he segregates them from the tools of emancipation. (In Cuba in Revolution, Miguel A. Faria, Jr. discusses Castro's confiscation of firearms, expedited by registration lists established under Fulgencio Batista.)

Ventura's ugliest statement was when he indicated no intention to meet with Cuban human rights activists. "I don't know where they are," he said. "I mean, if they know my hotel is here and they want to come here and meet, I'll be happy to meet with them."

Unfortunately, heroic Cubans like Oscar Elias Biscet and Juan Carlos González Leiva couldn't visit Ventura because they're in Castro's prisons (fully functional despite the U.S. embargo). If Ventura had a scintilla of decency he would have requested to see Cubans such as these.

Ventura didn't know where they are because he didn't want to know. He had an hour of face time with Castro, though. Ventura discussed wrestling and other subjects with the autocrat, whom he described as "an extremely bright man."

Minnesota's governor prides himself on bluntness, so I'll be blunt: You're despicable, Governor Ventura, but not because you went to Cuba. You're despicable because you chummed with a slave master, snubbed his victims, and acted as if Cubans' future belongs to them. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

LETTER IN ENGLISH TO GOVERNOR JESSE VENTURA

Alfredo Vivanco González, U.S.T.I.C. National Coordinator

Syndicate of Independent Workers Union of Cuba,

Representing the Executive Board of this Organization makes public the following OPEN LETTER, addressed to the Governor of Minnesota, U.S., Mr. Jesse Ventura, for his announced visit to our country.

Havana, September 3, 2002

Our union and its representatives are glad to hear of your recent announcement to visit our country. We consider that the presence of so distinguished personalities in our land may be very beneficial, since they can closely verify the true and sad situation that our population is experiencing.

We take advantage of this opportunity, to request very respectfully from you that at the time of your visit to Cuba, you should consider the recommendations expressed to you by the Governor of the state of Florida, Mr. Bush. That you should try to meet above all with the Cuban opposition, and mainly with the independent syndicates, because of your well known and long time standing of defending the rights of the workers.

Once your visit is over, we hope that you take with you a real impression of what our working-class is undergoing, and not a fictitious panoramic view. It would be very sad if you leave with a false notion.

Our Union of Independent Workers of Cuba is in the best disposition to meet with you, in order to engage in a dialog, which would be quite beneficial for both parties. It is up to you schedule the date and hour for this meeting.

We await your response to our proposal.

Cordially,

Alfredo Vivanco González

Coordinador Nacional de la U.S.T.I.C

Octubre 2, 2002

NOTA ACLARATORIA DE PABLO RODRIGUEZ CARVAJAL:

Esta carta fue recibida por Martha Tamargo, desde Cuba. Betty Smith la tradujo, se la envió, y, también llamó a su oficina. Me estoy refiriendo al Gobernador Jesse Ventura. Se le dio el número telefónico (en Cuba) donde comunicarse con Alfredo Vivanco González, Coordinador de la U.S.T.I.C., todo esto con bastante tiempo. Yo, Pablo Rodríguez Carvajal, soy testigo de esto, puesto que fue mí decisión no hacer dicha carta pública hasta darle al Gobernador la oportunidad de hacer lo que hace un hombre que ama la libertad, como por ejemplo, como hizo (gústale a quien le guste y duélale a quien le duela) Jimmy Carter.
Para este señor hacer este comentario, "I don't know where they are. I mean, if they know, my hotel is here and if they want to come here and meet, I'll be happy to meet with them", y pensar que nadie va a salir a la palestra a desmentirlo, tiene que pensar que estamos viviendo aún en la era de las cavernas. Habrá algún que cubano por ahí que está aún en las cavernas, pero en nuestra patria, y también fuera de ella, hay muchos cubanos que hace tiempo salimos de las cavernas, pero ayudémoslo a él a que salga.
Traducción del comentario del Gobernador Jesse Ventura: "Yo no sé donde están. Digo, si ellos saben que mi hotel está aquí, y quieren venir a reunirse conmigo, yo estaría feliz en reunirme con ellos".
TEXTO DE LA CARTA AL GOBERNADOR JESSE VENTURA:

Alfredo Vivanco González, U.S.T.I.C. Coordinador Nacional Unión Sindical de Trabajadores Independientes de Cuba hace pública, a nombre del Ejecutivo Nacional de esta organización, la siguiente CARTA ABIERTA, dirigida al Gobernador Sr. Jesse Ventura del estado de Minnesota, EE.UU., , por la anunciada visita a nuestro país próximamente.

La Habana 3 de septiembre 2002

Sr. Gobernador Jesse Ventura:

Nuestro organismo sindical ve con beneplácito, su reciente anuncio de visitar a nuestro país. Consideramos que la presencia de tan distinguidas personalidades en nuestra tierra, son muy provechosas, ya que pueden constatar bien de cerca la verdadera y triste situación que atraviesa nuestra población.

Aprovechamos esta visita, para solicitarle muy respetuosamente que al momento de visitarnos, tenga muy en cuenta las recomendaciones hechas por su homologo, el Gobernador del estado de la Florida, Sr.Bush, a su persona, de que tratara por todos los medios de reunirse con la oposición cubana y sobre todo con el sindicalismo independiente, teniendo como referencia que Ud. siempre ha sido un fiel defensor de los derechos de los trabajadores.

No quisiéramos, a la vez que sería bastante penoso, que una vez finalizada su visita a nuestro país, se llevara una panorámica virtual y no real de nuestra sufrida clase trabajadora.

Nuestra Unión Sindical de Trabajadores Independientes de Cuba, está en la mejor disposición de reunirse con Ud., a fin de sostener un dialogo, el cual sería bastante provechoso para ambas partes. Sólo quedaría por Ud. fijar la fecha y hora, para sostener dicho encuentro.

En espera de su contesta a nuestra proposición.

Cordialmente,

Alfredo Vivanco González,
Coordinador Nacional de la U.S.T.I.C

The above is sent to you by
Chachi Novellas Bengochea
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
FOR FREEDOM & JUSTICE GROUP
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ForFreedomandJustice

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