http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/cuba/ en-us Fri, 1 Jan 2010 03:38:54 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418781/posts (CNN) -- The brief detention in Havana, Cuba, last week of a Portland, Oregon, church group comes on the heels of the detention of an American contractor and could indicate an increasingly chilly reception for some American visitors, according to the church travelers. The December 26 trip for 14 members of the First Unitarian Church of Portland is a reminder of the entrenched tensions between Cuba and the United States despite the Obama administration's loosening of previous restrictions. cnn http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418781/posts#comment Fri, 1 Jan 2010 03:38:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414950/posts President Barack Obama has nominated Mari Carmen Aponte to become the next ambassador of El Salvador, a decade after she was forced to withdrawal her name from consideration for a similar post following concerns about alleged ties to Cuba, Newsmax.com reports. A former FBI official told Fox News that Aponte’s 1998 nomination by president Clinton began receiving attention after the foreign relations panel questioned her about a past relationship with Roberto Tamayo, who was alleged to have "possible ties to the Cuban government" and made "repeated trips there." Current White House spokesman Tommy Vietor responded, "as has been previously reported,... Personal Liberty Digest http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414950/posts#comment Fri, 25 Dec 2009 15:13:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413666/posts Oops! It seems that the Seattle Times couldn't be bothered to do even a bit of simple research. If they had, they might have spared themselves from publishing an editorial that got the facts about American trade with Cuba completely wrong: SEN. Maria Cantwell calls our attention to a law, signed by President Obama, allowing Cuba to buy U.S. farm produce and pay after the goods are shipped. The law reverses a Treasury ruling during the Bush years that Cuba had to pay in advance — a ruling that stopped the trade altogether. As Humberto Fontova of the Babalu Blog... NewsBusters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413666/posts#comment Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:35:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412483/posts Top Cuban Official Says Obama Lied in Copenhagen THE ASSOCIATED PRESS December 21, 2009 HAVANA (AP) -- Cuba's foreign minister called President Barack Obama an ''imperial and arrogant'' liar Monday for his conduct at the U.N. climate conference, a reflection of the communist island's increasingly fiery verbal attacks on the U.S. government. Bruno Rodriguez spent an hour and a half lambasting Obama's behavior in Copenhagen, telling a news conference, ''at this summit, there was only imperial, arrogant Obama, who does not listen, who imposes his positions and even threatens developing countries.'' He called the summit ''a fallacy, a farce'' and... NYTimes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412483/posts#comment Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:15:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2410581/posts There hasn't been much news about it in the U.S. but an American citizen has been arrested by Cuban authorities and has been placed in one of Cuba's most secure facilities; El Morro Castle, Havana. Cuba has yet to announce what charges they are leveling against the man but he was arrested after he gave out laptop computers, cellphones and other communication equipment to Cuba's beleaguered citizens. The Cuban government claims these items are against the law for its citizens to own because it "subverts" government authority. The American was a contractor for Development Alternatives, Inc. a company that has... Publius Forum http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2410581/posts#comment Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:32:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410126/posts Diario de America (note- Machine translation from Spanish) "Rigged States Organization" By Luis Marín The OAS is well aware, in any of the instances, what is the state of human rights in Venezuela, as does also on Cuba, even though that country is full member of the organization. It does not take in all the visit of any committee "in loco" for what he need to contact a group of experts who could do their job and report much better documented and more credible than the same inter-American commission, so permeated by political and ideological interests of the respective governments.... Diario de America http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410126/posts#comment Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:26:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410074/posts A leftist La Raza activist previously forced out of a U.S. ambassadorship for her close ties to a terrorist-sponsoring foreign government has been nominated by President Obama to a key administration post. Mari Del Carmen Aponte, a former director at the extremist Mexican group National Council of La Raza (see the press release applauding her nomination) and the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, has been handpicked by Obama to be the U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador. That means Aponte, an attorney and independent consultant, will represent the State Department in the civil war-ravaged Central American country. In 1998... Judicial Watch Corruption Chronicles http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410074/posts#comment Fri, 18 Dec 2009 01:59:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409895/posts President Obama's recent nominee for ambassador to El Salvador was forced to withdraw her nomination to another diplomatic post a decade ago following concerns about ties to Cuba, raising red flags as her name heads to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee once again for approval. President Obama's recent nominee for ambassador to El Salvador was forced to withdraw her nomination to another diplomatic post a decade ago following concerns about ties to Cuba, raising red flags as her name heads to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee once again for approval. The White House announced the nomination of Mari Del Carmen... FOXNews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409895/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:02:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409615/posts If you were president of the United States, would you hire an alleged former spy for Fidel Castro to be ambassador to El Salvador, a country teetering on the brink of hard-core socialism? President Obama just did. On Dec. 9, Obama nominated Mari Del Carmen Aponte to be ambassador to El Salvador, despite the fact that in the late 1990s, the FBI discovered that she was working with Cuban intelligence officers. According to Insight Magazine, "When the FBI eventually questioned her about her involvement with Cuban intelligence, she reportedly refused to cooperate." Why would Aponte escape the Obama administration's scrutiny?... Townhall http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409615/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:11:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409486/posts A U.S. government subcontractor was put in a high-security Cuban prison instead of a common jail after his arrest in Havana as he was about to take a flight home, U.S. congressional officials said Monday. The type of prison signaled that Cuban authorities are taking seriously the case of the U.S. citizen, reportedly detained for handing out laptops, cellphones and other communications equipment as part of a U.S. government program to support democracy in Cuba. Cuba has long regarded U.S. pro-democracy activities on the island as an effort to subvert its government, and in 2003 sentenced 75 dissidents to long... Miami Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409486/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:05:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409467/posts It's too soon for Americans to plan a Cuban vacation of beach, mambo and mojitos, but the U.S. travel industry is gearing up for a return to its largest Caribbean destination before Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. Tour operators held a video conference with Cuban tourism officials in Havana on Wednesday and asked them if they are ready for the "rush" of Americans if the U.S. travel ban is lifted as proposed by legislation now under consideration in the U.S. Congress. "Americans really want to see Cuba," said Robert Whitely, president of the U.S. Tour Operators, which together with the National... Yahoo UK http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409467/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:45:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407397/posts Given the challenges that President Obama faces in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, China, and elsewhere, the fact that he has thus far neglected Latin America is hardly surprising or scandalous. Obama has committed several unforced errors in the Americas, however, most notably in Honduras, and his relatively weak performance has raised concerns about declining U.S. influence. Obama's Latin America policy has evolved through four stages. During stage one, Obama practiced what might be called Sally Field diplomacy ("You like me!"), marveling over his own popularity in the region while trying to make nice with both friendly and adversarial... Weekly Standard http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407397/posts#comment Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:48:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405415/posts Documentary peeks at Fidel Castro's human side Dec 10 05:12 PM US/Eastern By WILL WEISSERTAssociated Press Writer HAVANA (AP) - The Rev. Jesse Jackson took him to church for the first time in 27 years. Home run legend Hank Aaron asked him for autographed baseballs. Literary great Gabriel Garcia Marquez gave him a copy of "Dracula" that kept him up all night reading and smuggled ingredients into the country so he could make baklava. An international cast of luminaries who traveled to Cuba and met with Fidel Castro, as well as top members of his government and military, talk... Breitbart.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405415/posts#comment Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:42:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405212/posts A few days ago, President Barack Obama made it clear ``to every man, woman and child who lives under the dark cloud of tyranny, that America will speak out on behalf of their human rights.'' Speaking out against tyrants, international resolutions and sanctions are often used as diplomacy tools. Sanctions are not uncommon when dealing with tyrants, as we have seen in the discussions weighing what to do about North Korea and Iran. The United States levied sanctions against Libya after its terrorists downed a PAM AM flight over Scotland in 1996; the world imposed sanctions on the white supremacist... Miami Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405212/posts#comment Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:22:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2403605/posts SNIPPET: "Venezuela's Marxist leader, Hugo Chavez, is receiving "thousands" of reliable, accurate, and very portable Russian ground-to-air missiles as part of a military buildup supposedly in anticipation of an anticipated U.S. assault. Chavez knows that there is no chance that the Obama administration will launch an attack against his regime. The real reason for Chavez's missile purchase and his military buildup in general remains hidden and disturbing. Chavez states that he is enraged that neighboring Colombia is permitting the United States to use six bases on Colombian territory. The troops had been stationed in Ecuador, but were expelled that nation's... INATODAY.com - INTERNATIONAL NEWS ANALYSIS TODAY http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2403605/posts#comment Wed, 9 Dec 2009 12:49:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404831/posts HAVANA: Fidel Castro is calling President Barack Obama's accepting of the Nobel Peace Prize a "cynical act," given that he is sending 30,000 more US troops to Afghanistan. The 83-year-old former Cuban leader initially applauded Obama's selection, but he has backed off that recently. In a column on a government website on Wednesday, Castro wrote: "Why did Obama accept the Nobel Peace Prize when he had already decided to take the war in Afghanistan to its ultimate limit?" Castro said Obama "was not obligated to commit a cynical act" by accepting the prize. He said Obama's Dec. 1 speech during... Times of India http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404831/posts#comment Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:32:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2404761/posts The newest ambassador to the Holy See, Cuba's Eduardo Delgado Bermudez, renewed nearly 75 years of continuous relations with the Vatican today when he delivered his credentials to Pope Benedict XVI in a private audience. The Pontiff expressed to the ambassador his hopes for the future of the Cuban people and for seeing continued “concrete signs” of the acceptance of the exercise of religious freedom. In his address, Pope Benedict highlighted the importance for governments around the world not to forget about the basic needs of the people, despite the current economic crisis. "The Catholic Church in Cuba, that in... CNA http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2404761/posts#comment Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:53:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401687/posts HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban musicians are returning to perform in the United States after a long freeze on such visits, seizing the opportunity of friendlier overtures toward Havana from U.S. President Barack Obama. Well-known Cuban musicians are being granted visas to perform at U.S. venues in a sign that Obama's administration is quietly promoting cultural contacts as part of a strategy of warmer "people to people" ties with the Communist-run island. The more relaxed atmosphere between the Cold War era enemies is perhaps most evident in the arts, which in the past has provided a bridge between the two neighbors... ABC News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401687/posts#comment Sun, 6 Dec 2009 22:30:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2397542/posts CARACAS (Reuters) - Russia is building arms plants in Venezuela to produce AK-103 automatic rifles and cartridges and is finalizing contracts to send 53 military helicopters to the Andean nation, Moscow's envoy to Venezuela saidMonday. Ambassador Vladmir Zaemskiy told a news conference that Russian engineers and Venezuelan construction firms were building the rifle and cartridge plants which, when operational, would employ more than 1,500 workers. He gave no completion date for the plants under construction in the central state of Aragua. Details about Moscow's military shipments and projects have been scarce since socialist President Hugo Chavez's government began signing military... Forbes.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2397542/posts#comment Tue, 1 Dec 2009 13:49:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2396740/posts Cuba began its biggest military maneuvers in five years on Thursday, saying they were needed to prepare for a possible invasion by the United States. Despite a thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations and assurances last week by President Barack Obama that the United States has no intention of invading the island 90 miles from Florida, Cuba's state-run press quoted military leaders as saying there "exists a real possibility of a military aggression against Cuba." The war games, which are being called "Bastion 2009," also will get the military ready to deal with social unrest the United States may try to foment... Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2396740/posts#comment Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:54:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2266439/posts Fidel Castro called the case of two Americans accused of spying for Cuba "strange" Saturday and questioned whether the timing of their arrests was politically motivated. In an essay read by a newscaster on state television, the former Cuban leader noted that the retired Washington couple were taken into custody just 24 hours after the Organization of American States voted to lift a decades-old suspension of Cuba's membership in that group. Though the U.S. ultimately supported the OAS vote Wednesday, the administration of President Barack Obama initially wanted to see more democratic reforms on the communist island before Cuba was... AP via Breitbart http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2266439/posts#comment Sun, 7 Jun 2009 02:08:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1746230/posts Britain's special relationship 'just a myth' Toby Harnden in Washington A senior American official has spoken of "the myth of the special relationship" between the United States and Britain, arguing that Tony Blair got "nothing, no payback" for supporting President George W Bush in Iraq. Kendall Myers, a leading State Department adviser, suggested that Mr Blair should have been ditched by Labour but the party had lacked the "courage or audacity" to remove him. David Cameron, the Conservative leader, was "shrewd, astute" to have distanced himself from America. In candid comments that will embarrass Mr Bush and Mr Blair, the... Daily Telegraph (UK) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1746230/posts#comment Thu, 30 Nov 2006 06:32:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2396035/posts World powers united in condemnation of Iran's nuclear activities yesterday in a rare show of international consensus on the threat posed by Tehran's continued nuclear defiance. China and Russia joined the United States, Britain, France and Germany in backing an International Atomic Energy Agency resolution censuring Iran and ordering it to halt construction of a secret uranium enrichment plant. The resolution, the first since February 2006, passed with 25 votes and six abstentions. Only Malaysia, Venezuela and Cuba supported Iran. ...China, which has shared Moscow's reluctance to take a hard line with Tehran, was reportedly persuaded to support the resolution... Times of London http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2396035/posts#comment Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:34:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2393681/posts Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) has launched a "Spotlight on Spending" series to highlight items in his Control Spending Now Act, which includes 40 items that, the senator says, will reduce the government deficit by more than half a trillion dollars. The first provision featured by Feingold's press office is Radio Marti, launched in 1983 to broadcast 24 hours of programming designed to undermine the Castro regime. TV Marti debuted in 1990. Both are operated by the Office of Cuba Broadcasting under the Broadcasting Board of Governors. Feingold's office cites Radio and TV Marti as wasteful, among other reasons, because their... Radio Ink http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2393681/posts#comment Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:25:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391914/posts An elderly US couple charged with spying for Cuba for almost 30 years have pleaded guilty, with the husband agreeing to serve a life sentence, the US Justice Department said. Walter Myers, 72, a former State Department official with top-secret security clearance, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit espionage and two counts of wire fraud, according to the department. His wife, Gwendolyn Myers, 71, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to gather and transmit national defence information to Washington's Cold War enemy Havana, and will serve between six and 7.5 years behind bars. The pair also agreed to forfeit $1,735,054 – the... Telegraph (U.K.) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391914/posts#comment Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:51:12 GMT