It's Not Henry Kissinger's Latin America Anymore!

It's Michelle Bachelet's Latin America Now!!
{Updated Thursday, December 19, 2013}

    This week {Sunday, December 15, 2013} Michelle Bachelet was overwhelmingly re-elected as President of Chile, a wealthy and very important Latin American nation. {The AP/Jorge Saenz photo on the left shows Bachelet after her victory was assured} She had been President of Chile from 2006 till 2010 and left office with an 84% approval rating! Chile's democracy does not permit consecutive terms so Bachelet, between elections, worked on behalf of women and children for the United Nations in New York City. Now 62-years-old, a trained pediatrician and lover of children, the outcome of yesterday's presidential election was a foregone conclusion once she entered the race. Chile and Latin America need Michelle Bachelet. So does the world. For Latin America and the world, Michelle Bachelet represents the absolute and total antipathy to the Henry Kissinger-installed/supported dictators that plagued Latin America for so long. Every nation in Latin America understands that appraisal. However, Americans do not understand it because the United States media, both printed and electronic, has neither the integrity nor the courage to explain how and why remembrances of Henry Kissinger assured Ms. Bachelet's easy re-election Sunday as President of Chile.

     Henry Kissinger is now 90-years-old. He was born on May 27th, 1923 in Furth, Germany. From 1969 till 1975 he was National Security Advisor. From 1973 till 1977 he was U. S. Secretary of State. During those years, Henry Kissinger used his ultra-powerful position in control of the U. S. foreign policy to stave off Latin America's fervent desire for democratic governments to replace brutal and thieving dictators often installed and massively supported by the United States, the world superpower and, supposedly, the greatest proponent of democracy! This week's overwhelming re-election of Michelle Bachelet as President of Chile reminds Latin Americans of Mr. Kissinger. In 1973 Mr. Kissinger, supported by President Richard Nixon, orchestrated the overthrow and death of Chile's very popular and democratically elected President, Salvador Allende. For the next 17 years, Allende's democratic government was replaced by General Augusto Pinochet, a murderous tyrant but one that, in exchange for U. S. support, allowed U. S. businesses to partake in the rape and robbery of Chile. Pinochet is famed to this day for his Operation Condor assassins that killed innocent people around the world, including the murders of Chilean diplomat Orlando Letelier and his beautiful American aide Ronni Moffitt within sound of the White House in Washington. Any study of the Letelier-Moffitt murders will reveal that Pinochet's favorite assassins were well-trained Cuban exiles and that the CIA Director at the time, George H. W. Bush, tried to steer the FBI's investigation of the Letelier-Moffitt murders away from Kissinger's beloved dictator, Augusto Pinochet. Since he left government work, Henry Kissinger has amassed fortunes with his lucrative and secretive consultancy business. Once he was appointed to a prestigious presidential committee and he readily accepted. Then he was told he would have to reveal his clients. That was when he readily declined. To this day, Kissinger would not set foot on Chilean land because to this day Chile is trying mightily to come to grips with the Pinochet years by continuing to put on trial his cohorts during his murderous reign. One of the many innocent people murdered during the Pinochet dictatorship was...THE FATHER OF MICHELLE BACHELET! Americans are not supposed to know the extreme brutality of the Kissinger-Pinochet connection nor are they supposed to know the significance of Sunday's overwhelming re-election of Ms. Bachelet as the President of Chile.

  Democracies other than America's are abundantly aware of Henry Kissinger's ties to Augusto Pinochet. However, to this day in the U. S. media, especially on the cable "news" networks, Kissinger can spend hours promoting his latest book or his other projects and never have to worry about being asked about such untidy things as Pinochet. If a celebrity such as Kissinger were asked a tough question, it would send a message to other celebrities not to appear on cable "news" shows. And then the cable "news" programs would have to actually go out and cover news instead of having all those "talking head" celebrities free-of-charge on their sets. Thus, for the most part, Americans are kept in the dark about things they need to know if they are to be significant participants in their democracy -- which, after all, is precisely what a democracy should be all about.

   Peter Kornbluh heads the Chile Project and the Cuba Project at the U. S. National Security Archive based at George Washington University. Beyond doubt, Peter Kornbluh knows more about the modern histories of Chile and Cuba than any person alive. He is also the best at de-classifying long classified U. S. documents that, for decades, shielded anti-democratic actions by Henry Kissinger and others. Peter publishes those actual de-classified documents on the National Security Archive for all to see. Because of Kornbluh and a handful of other great investigative journalists {such as James Bamford}, there is really no excuse for Americans not to properly comprehend what is going on today in Latin America, such as the re-election of Michelle Bachelet in Chile. Americans who do not know Peter Kornbluh simply do not know important Latin American history.

   Peter Kornbluh is a prolific orator.  The year 2013 marks the 40th anniversary of the U. S.-backed coup that resulted in the death of the democratically elected President Allende to install the murderous but U.S.-friendly Pinochet for 17 bloody years. On this 40th anniversary of the coup, Peter Kornbluh has made ubiquitous speeches about the significance of the coup and how it relates to Latin America today -- including the re-election of Ms. Bachelet, whose father was one of Pinochet's victims, as President of Chile.

    Also, in 2013 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Pinochet coup, Peter Kornbluh has updated a new version of his book "The Pinochet File." The updated book is 605 pages long with page-after-page of actual de-classified U. S. documents to chronicle at long last the uncontested history of the Pinochet coup that killed Chile's democratically elected President Allende and later murdered thousands of others -- including Michelle Bachelet's father, Orlando Letelier, Ronni Moffiff, and thousands of other innocent people. Peter Kornbluh is not only a superb journalist but also a patriotic, democracy-loving American. He believes Americans need to know the true history of Latin America if they are to fulfill their role as defenders of America and democracy. To do that, Peter Kornbluh believes, requires knowledge of U. S. history in Latin America. To not know that history, he believes, leaves the U. S. democracy in a precarious situation in which the likes of Henry Kissinger, with no accountability to worry about, can run roughshod over foreign nations that prefer democracy over imperialist dictators. Even if accountability is decades late in coming, it is still important for Americans to acknowledge it, not necessarily to punish the elderly Henry Kissingers of the world but to assure that democracy-lovers learn from history and then apply that knowledge to their current democracy as well as to all future democracies.

   Michelle Bachelet's re-election Sunday as President of Chile will be covered this week on the back pages of America's newspapers and barely mentioned, if at all, by America's cable "news" operations. That's a shame because the United States democracy needs a vibrant, honest, and fair news media. Latin America is important to America. And newly elected President Michelle Bachelet in Chile personifies Latin America today -- a totally new Latin America than the one envisioned by Henry Kissinger who would prefer U.S.-friendly dictators throughout the region.  Like President Dilma Rousseff in Brazil, the Latin American superpower, Michelle Bachelet represents the trend in Latin America of democratically electing superbly intelligent and honest females to replace once entrenched males who tend to be motivated mostly by money, womanizing, and power. Michelle Bachelet, Dilma Rousseff, etc., tend to be fueled and motivated by genuine concerns for the welfare of the majority of their citizens, especially the historically maligned women and children. Ironically, the strident abuses of males like Henry Kissinger and Augusto Pinochet expedited that remarkable transformation in Latin America. Please take note that the politician who finished a distant second to Michelle Bachelet in Sunday's election in Chile was...a woman named Evelyn Matthei. No male was seriously considered.

God bless Latin America! May all your Presidents be women!

    President Michelle Bachelet of Chile is truly a great person. As a pediatrician, she worked tirelessly to better the lives of less fortunate women and children. As the re-elected President of Chile, she continues to work tirelessly on behalf of women and children. She understands that how a nation treats its women and children will, and should, define it as a nation. In decades and centuries past, power-hungry and money-hungry males like Augusto Pinochet had their bloody, thieving decades of devious devastation. Now it's time for good, smart, caring women like Michelle Bachelet to correct those historic mistakes in the evolution toward decency. ALL HAIL HER CHILEAN PRESIDENCY! And now...congratulations to all of Latin America!

  As for the United States of America, President Michelle Bachelet in Chile should represent a much-needed history lesson as well as also nurturing an abiding interest in meaningful topical events, and not just a fascination with the latest Miley Cyrus scandal. Sunday's Associated Press article from Santiago, Chile concerning the overwhelming re-election of President Bachelet was written by Luis Andres Henao. That AP article pointed out that: "Policies imposed by Pinochet's 1973-1990 dictatorship kept wealth and power in a few hands." That AP article said that today Chile has wealth for being, among other things, "the world's top copper producer," and that, "its fast-growing economy, low unemployment and stable democracy are the envy of Latin America." And a prime reason that Chile today is "the envy of Latin America" is the simple fact that the re-election of Michelle Bachelet means that Chile has a decent leader to disperse that wealth to its very deserving majority of women and children, not as in the past when it was dispersed to a few friends of Pinochet, Kissinger, etc.

    Sunday's Associated Press article by Luis Andres Henao about President Bachelet's re-election as President included this fact: "The 62-year-old pediatrician ended her 2006-2010 presidency with 84 percent approval ratings." The AP article also stated this fact: "Bachelet's father was tortured to death for refusing to support the strongman Pinochet. And Bachelet was imprisoned herself." Well, America! Bachelet is no longer a prisoner. Neither is Chile! Instead, Bachelet is the re-elected President of Chile. The photo on the right is today a memorial at the military base where Bachelet's father was murdered, reminding Chileans and Latin Americans of their dictatorial history, a sad past that includes the detestable, murderous Pinochet rule that Henry Kissinger and the United States imposed on Chile. Americans who love democracy and who love America should know the history of Chile -- especially from Pinochet to Bachelet -- because it parallels the history of Latin America. And with that knowledge of Latin American history, Americans would realize the true significance of Sunday's re-election of Ms. Bachelet as President of Chile. Kissinger's loss is a big victory for democracy! 

   On the left is the Pinochet prison where Michelle Bachelet was tortured while in that other prison {depicted above} her father was being tortured to death. Chileans today are vividly reminded of both those prisons because Chileans need to know about past foreign-backed dictators like Pinochet so there will be no foreign-backed dictators in their future. Americans need to understand Chile's history because, in the past, the United States was indelibly tied to Pinochet and other such brutal Latin American dictatorships. Not knowing history leaves Americans ignorant of modern events. The modern history of Kissinger and Pinochet in Chile, you see, paved the way for today's Michelle Bachelet presidency. 

    Fidel Castro was a dear friend of Chile's democratically elected President Salvador Allende and Fidel Castro was a bitter enemy of vile U.S.-backed Latin American dictators such as Pinochet in Chile, Trujillo in the Dominican Republic, Samoza in Nicaragua, Batista in Cuba, etc. The photo on the right shows Fidel Castro with Allende shortly before Allende died in the bloody U.S.-Pinochet coup in 1973. The powers that be in the United States to this day seem to believe that the U. S. democracy is not strong enough for Americans to comprehend the significance of the above photo, lest they denounce their democracy. But it's the Kissingers that usurp and defame that democracy that should be denounced, not democracy itself!

   Today as the new democratically re-elected President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet is Fidel Castro's dear friend. For Americans to comprehend such facts, they would need to be better informed about Latin American history that includes...Salvador Allende, Fidel Castro, Augusto Pinochet, Michelle Bachelet, etc. All that history is important because it is also topical. Today Fidel Castro is 87-years-old and has, amazingly, managed not to be assassinated or overthrown in Cuba by a vast array of Kissinger-like American right-wingers. And today at age 62 Michelle Bachelet has just been overwhelmingly re-elected as President of Chile. Instead of being ignorant about such things, Americans need to understand them.

   Last week, for example, the whole world paused to eulogize the life of perhaps the world's most beloved person, Nelson Mandela. The event highlighted the fact that Americans, conveniently ignorant of how and why Mandela attained such heights, were surprised when some insightful coverage of the Mandela memorials pointed out that Mandela himself deeply loved and admired Fidel Castro. For Americans to be appalled at Mandela's relationship with Fidel Castro is one thing. But to be totally ignorant of it is another thing altogether, similar to being ignorant about why Chile's beloved newly elected President Michelle Bachelet is Fidel Castro's dear friend. An ignorant American might ask, "Was Mandela crazy? Is Bachelet crazy?" Uh, no. Mandela was both brilliant and intelligent. Bachelet is both brilliant and intelligent. Fidel Castro is many things, including brilliance and intelligence. Americans need to be less ignorant about such things even if they have to Google the facts for themselves. Afterward, embellished with facts, it would then be alright to hate Fidel Castro and love Henry Kissinger. 

    The book on the right is entitled: "Modern World Leaders: Michelle Bachelet." If they do not do something easy by just Goggling Peter Kornbluh's Chilean and Cuban postings on the U. S. National Security Archive website, Americans, for starters, should purchase Richard Worth's book that chronicles the rise of today's wave of new female leaders like Michelle Bachelet in Chile and Dilma Rousseff in Brazil. There are reasons for the phenomenons that Richard Worth documents. One of the reasons, of course, is Henry Kissinger's fondness for dictators like Pinochet in Chile as opposed to the murdered democratically elected President Allende and today's newly democratically elected President Bachelet. Being blinded to Latin American history by an embarrassed U. S. government and by an inept U. S. media should not, in this age of easily accessible search engines like Google, condone the ignorance of Americans when it comes to such monumental events as this week's memorial service for Nelson Mandela in South Africa and this week's re-election of Michelle Bachelet as President of Chile. The ineptness of the U. S. media, including the power of a right-wing propaganda machine like Fox News, is no longer an excuse for Americans to be ignorant of colossal modern events such as the death of Nelson Mandela and the re-election of Michelle Bachelet. After all, the year is 2013 and that entails the now well-established marvels of such things as the Internet and Google. Yes, perils like cancer and Fox News still abound. But while the search for cancer's cure is ongoing, the search for curing Fox News has been discovered! It's called the Internet and Google. So today -- this hour, in fact -- Americans should turn off their television sets and Google the name "Michelle Bachelet." Then they would know what to think as opposed to being told what to think. Such a transformation would take a while to get used to but, for sure, it would be a very worthwhile endeavor.

       The Cuban News Agency -- Prensa Latina -- has released this updated photo of Fidel Castro. It was taken Friday -- December 13, 2013 -- at Castro's home in Havana and shows the 87-year-old Fidel with Ignacio Ramonet, the Franco-Spanish journalist. Ramonet, the long-time Editor-in-Chief of Le Monde, is Fidel Castro's only authorized biographer. He said he spent two hours with the revolutionary icon. Afterward, Ramonet told the Associated Press's Anne-Marie Garcia, "I found him to be in excellent health and in a good mood, physically, mentally and psychologically. He's interested in everything. The environment, the climate crisis, Chile, Venezuela, South Africa. I found him alert, on top of current events."

      This AFP/Adalberto Roque/Getty Images photo was taken Tuesday, December 17th, 2013 and depicts an important and ongoing event in Havana. It shows leaders of the FARC guerrilla movement heading to the Convention Palace in Havana to continue peace talks with the Colombian government. Notice that two of the top FARC guerrilla fighters are women. For decades, thousands of lives have been lost in Colombia as the FARC has battled government armies. The U. S. has devoted billions of dollars to support anti-FARC efforts. Today even the U. S. government has praised Cuba for taking the lead in trying to broker a peace.

       This AFP/Yamil Lage photo was taken in Cuba Tuesday, December 17, 2013 and shows an elderly Cuban woman paying homage to St. Lazarus at St. Lazarus Church in El Rincon, which is 25 km from Havana.

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Why Mandela Loved Fidel

And Why That Shocks Americans and Brits

   When Nelson Mandela -- the South African and world icon often called "the most beloved person in the world" -- died on Dec. 5-2013 at age 95, just about every prominent person in the world, and almost every world leader, rushed to make sure their comments expressing condolences received maximum print and air-time locally and worldwide. It also revealed maximum hypocrisy and cowardice on the part of many, especially American and British leaders who tried desperately to annihilate Mandela and/or keep him imprisoned for the rest of his life. For example, on Dec. 6-2013 -- the day after Mandela died -- Francisco Peregil in Buenos Aires, Argentina, wrote a major article that was headlined in leading newspapers around the world, such as Spain's El Pais. Peregil's article bore this headline: Mandela's Best Friend...Was Fidel Castro."  The fact that Americans and Brits are not supposed to read or know about such articles reflects the American and British love for imperialism and colonialism that two renowned men -- Fidel Castro and Nelson Mandela -- did the most to defeat. In 1959 Fidel Castro's Cuban Revolution ousted the U.S.-backed Batista-Mafia dictatorship. In 1961 in South Africa, inspired by Cuba's incredibly successful guerrilla war, Nelson Mandela -- a lawyer like Fidel Castro -- began a guerrilla war to overthrow England's pernicious apartheid rule of South Africa. In Cuba, a young Fidel Castro spent two years in a Batista prison before he emerged to resume his guerrilla war. In South Africa, Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in an apartheid prison with a bucket for a toilet before he emerged to become the democratically elected President of South Africa, a five-year term followed by his worldwide canonization as the most beloved person in the world, the best example of an everlasting freedom and human rights icon, a champion of sovereignty and democracy, etc.

     Upon his release from prison and upon his election as South Africa's President, the first person in the world that Nelson Mandela thanked and embraced was Fidel Castro, surely not the leaders of Britain and America. While in imprisoned, Mandela became aware that it was Fidel Castro who sent Cuba's best 40,000 soldiers to Angola to defeat Britain's, America's, and South Africa's powerful South African apartheid army. That monumental Cuba-led victory freed Mandela from his prison and freed Africa from the bondage of foreign domination. Yet, to this very day the citizens of America and Britain are not supposed to comprehend the affection that Nelson Mandela showered upon Fidel Castro. In fact, to this very day -- using Angola as the prime reason -- Fidel Castro's Cuba is still listed on America's "Sponsors of Terrorism" list although the rest of the world, except for U. S. sycophants and dependents, totally disagrees with that listing and considers it merely another way to appease a handful of the most visceral second generation Batistianos that the Cuban Revolution evicted from Cuba in 1959. Also, to this day American and British citizens are not supposed to know this fact: UNTIL FIVE YEARS AGO -- REPEAT, UNTIL FIVE YEARS AGO -- THE U. S. LISTED NELSON MANDELA HIMSELF AS A TERRORIST! Only five years ago, as Mandela turned 90 and his health was significantly fading, did the U. S. remove Mandela himself and his ANC anti-apartheid cohorts from the Sponsors of Terrorism list. And that, remember, was only after it was apparent that Mandela was "the most admired person in the world" and it was quite apparent that his legacy would live through the ages as the anti-apartheid, anti-colonialism, and anti-imperialism icon that, inspired by Fidel Castro, rebelled against America's and Britain's age-old domination of smaller foreign nations such as Fidel Castro's Cuba and Nelson Mandela's South Africa.

  One would think, in December of 2013, the U. S. and British democracies would be strong enough to do what The Center for Democracy in the Americas, Spain's top newspaper, El Pais, and other unbiased sources did today -- and that is to explain why Nelson Mandela's "best friend" was Fidel Castro. To this day, for example, Americans and Brits are not supposed to know this basic fact: In trying to assure that the apartheid rule of South Africa was prolonged far into the future, Britain and the U. S. provided South Africa nuclear weapons. When Mandela was democratically elected President of South Africa in 1994, South Africa became the only nation in history to willfully destroy its own nuclear stockpile! This made the entire world much safer.

      In other words, from the 19th century into the 1980s it was wrong for America and England to rape, rob, and dominate smaller and weaker nations -- like Cuba and South Africa, for example. And now deep into the 21st Century, instead of longing for their colonial and imperialist pasts, it might be timely for the United States and Great Britain to admit some truths about their Cuban and South African imperialist reigns. 

    On Dec. 6-2013 -- the day after the death of Nelson Mandela -- the highly respected Center for Democracy in the Americas used a major article on its website to suggest to the United States of America that it would be a tribute to Nelson Mandela to remove Cuba from its very short list of nations that sponsor terrorism. That suggestion came after the Center for Democracy in the Americas pointed out that it was only five years ago that the United States finally admitted that Nelson Mandela himself was not a terrorist. Of course, as the Center for Democracy in the Americas knows, the U. S. democracy in 2013 is simply not strong enough to remove Cuba from the terrorism list because a handful of Cuban-exile extremists continue to control America's Cuban policy. 

    Two generations of dictatorial, anti-Castro zealots that he booted out of Cuba should not be allowed to re-write the history of either Cuba or South Africa. When he died this week, Mandela had been and will continue to be lionized and revered as the world's most beloved freedom fighter and human rights icon -- ALL AROUND THE WORLD EXCEPT IN MIAMI-Dade County THAT, SINCE THE CUBAN REVOLUTIONARY VICTORY IN 1959, HAS BEEN DOMINATED BY A MERE HANDFUL OF REVENGEFUL CUBAN EXILES. When Mandela made his one visit to Miami, he was shamefully treated rudely in a campaign directed by five Miami-area mayors. Americans were not supposed to be ashamed but Mandela's treatment in Miami resulted in a massive boycott of Miami businesses by African-Americans. The boycott was so powerful that, after three years, the political leaders of Miami actually apologized because it was adversely affecting their finances. The two Cuban-exile priorities -- money first and revenge against Castro second -- have shamed America's democracy. Americans have been proselytized or intimidated into giving Miami-Dade County a pass on being the only place in the world that mistreated Mandela because he was Fidel Castro's friend; for giving Miami-Dade County a pass for harboring well-known terrorists because, after all, the victims were/are innocent Cubans; for reconstituting the Batista dictatorship on U. S. soil, etc.

   The photo on the right shows Nelson Mandela and Fidel Castro celebrating in Matanzas, Cuba, in 1991 shortly after Mandela had been released from prison. In Matanzas that day Mandela said, "My dearest friend Fidel and Cuba freed me and freed Africa. We in South Africa and in Cuba are used to stronger countries wanting to carve up our territory and subvert our sovereignty. It is unparalleled in history what Fidel accomplished in Cuba and now what he has accomplished in Africa." As a democracy-loving American, I point this out not because I desire Americans and Brits to like Fidel Castro or to love Nelson Mandela. Rather, I point this out to suggest that the American and British democracies in 2013 should be strong enough to admit the various documented truths about...Nelson Mandela, Fidel Castro, South Africa, and Cuba. History deserves a true telling. Mandela, Castro, apartheid, and Batista represent history. To distort them is to distort history AND democracy.

These two men carved out historic niches.
People have a right to judge them -- to love them or hate them.
But a handful of self-serving, revenge-minded Cuban exiles should not be given a license to distort them.

   All the leaders of the world, including America's five still-living Presidents -- were quick to register their heartfelt condolences within minutes after the death of Nelson Mandela. Mandela liked the three Democratic Presidents on the right but disliked the two Republican Presidents. As a lifelong conservative, democracy-loving Republican, I understand why. And I believe, within the bowels of the modern U. S. democracy, it is alright for Americans to study whys and why-nots, especially if they would like to prolong their democracy and learn from its past mistakes in places like...South Africa and Cuba. 

   The book "How Far We Slaves Have Come" was written by two men -- Nelson Mandela and Fidel Castro -- who believed South Africa didn't deserve to be enslaved by England and Cuba didn't deserve to be enslaved by the United States. In December of 2013, a month dominated by the death of Nelson Mandela at age 95, Brits and Americans should read this book. After all, their democracies claim to embrace both sides of two-sided stories.

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Topical and Iconic Snapshots of Cuba

Sunday, November 10th, 2013

  For the most part, the mainstream U. S. media reports only on negative stories emanating from Cuba. However, Sarah Rainsford of the BBC {left} covers Cuba like a blanket and her bosses in England allow her to report on positive or negative aspects of everyday life on the island. Thus, if you want a fair, unbiased view of Cuba, google "Sarah Rainsford of the BBC." If you want a warped, distorted view, google "Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, etc., or hateful, revengeful blogs like "Capital Hill Cubans."

   For example, in one of her first BBC reports from Cuba in this month of Nov.-2013, Sarah Rainsford's video included the snapshot on the right to illustrate vast changes taking place within the Cuban economy. There are now some 440,000 new small businesses operating on the island. These ladies were checking Halloween costumes at one of those stores earlier this month because Halloween in the year 2013 was widely celebrated in Cuba! Did you know that? Probably not. But if you would ignore Talking Heads on Fox and instead rely on Sarah Rainsford to tell you what is happening in Cuba with everyday Cubans, then you would know some actual facts!

  The young Cuban woman on the left was featured in Sarah Rainsford's BBC report eagerly sorting through Halloween costumes at one of the new privately owned small businesses in Cuba. This, of course, is not earth-shaking news...except for the fact that Americans are not supposed to know about anything positive that might...just might!...be happening in Cuba. So, as Sarah Rainsford reports for the BBC, an enthusiastic young Cuban woman shopping for a Halloween costume is rather earth-shattering, after all. And that's because her shopping spree was real, not staged.

     Sarah Rainsford of the BBC reports that the Cuban man on the right was anxiously blowing up Halloween balloons to sell in his new entrepreneurial enterprise. By contrast, the U. S. media would have been interested in this man only if he was a dissident engaged in some enterprise designed to undermine or overthrow the Cuban government. Since he was not, we have to rely on Sarah Rainsford of the BBC to tell us what the hell this Cuban was doing blowing up all those balloons! After all, since the overthrow of the U.S.-backed Batista-Mafia dictatorship way back in 1959, Cuba says a lot more about the U. S. than it says about Cuba itself.

  Sarah Rainsford's BBC report featured this Cuban man eagerly cutting up gourds and pumpkins for his Halloween celebration. Heck, I didn't know Cubans even celebrated Halloween. Of course, by depending on Sarah Rainsford and not Bill O'Rielly to inform me about what's happening on the island of Cuba, now I know! But, of course, if I ever want a biased and distorted view of Cuba, I can always waste my time viewing the Talking Heads on Fox, CNN, and MSNBC where their Anchors are anchored to their desks instead of going out and actually covering news like Sarah Rainsford!

          This REUTERS/Desmond Boyland photo shows the start of a typical day in Cuba this month. It's the main highway leading into Havana. The truck carries bananas. The traffic increases as the day progresses.

       This AFP/Adalberto Roque photo shows a Cuban doctor teaching an anatomy class at the Latin American School of Medicine {ELAM} this month in Havana. ELAM is the largest medical school in the world and one of the most respected. It is a beacon for aspiring doctors who otherwise are stymied by expenses.

       13,000 poor students like these from around the world, including the United States of America, attend ELAM free of charge with all expenses, including room and board, paid for by the Cuban government. When they graduate they owe Cuba nothing except to keep their promise to return to their communities and practice medicine. Most of those promises are kept, improving the communities the students left.

The campus at Cuba's Latin American School of Medicine.

      In the United States -- headquartered, of course, in Miami -- there is a very large cottage industry that makes a lot of money and exacts a lot of revenge with its well-funded, sophisticated anti-Cuban Revolution fanaticism, a project that has been in existence since January of 1959 when the ousted Batista/Mafia dictatorship in Cuba immediately reconstituted itself in the U. S. with its new capital of Miami. The above photo {taken by Chris Hinkle} highlighted a major article in the New York Times on Tuesday, November 5th, 2013. It shows 21-year-old Cuban defector Adrianni Martin in a practice session with Ballet Arizona where she is the principle dancer in its production of "Cinderella" in Phoenix. Six months ago Ms. Martin defected from the prestigious National Ballet of Cuba along with her boyfriend Randy Crespo and five other premier Cuban ballet performers. Because Cuba trains better dancers than the U. S., all seven of the defectors are already well-paid American performers. Ms. Martin told the New York Times, "We knew we were leaving everything behind, and we didn't know what awaited us." Of course, what awaits ballet, baseball, and medical defectors from Cuba to the U. S. is a lushly funded and profitable pipeline greased with powerful doses of greed and revenge designed to make money and to hurt Revolutionary Cuba. Such defectors as Adrianni Martin are well-educated and lured into that pipeline -- currently via Mexico -- with ease. U. S. laws -- engineered by visceral Cuban exiles -- such as the Helms-Burton Act -- provide vast privileges to Cuban exiles that are totally unavailable to anyone else. The Wet Foot/Dry Foot U. S. law, for example, gives Cuban defectors, and only Cuban defectors, instant entree to America if they leave Cuba and touch dry soil. The soil between the U. S. and Mexico, of course, is quite dry. Once on dry soil, the Cuban defectors are immediately a part of that well-greased, revengeful, and profitable pipeline.

       Ramona de Saa is Cuba's master ballet teacher. She diligently trained Adrianni Martin and the other recent defectors, as well as international superstars such as Carlos Acosta, Daniel and Rolando Sarabia, Jose Manuel Carreno, Yosvani Ramos, etc. For the Nov. 5-2013 article, the New York Times asked Ramona de Saa how she felt about the latest defections of her superbly trained ballet stars. She replied: "We are privileged here. The world of ballet is difficult." She understands the well-greased anti-Cuban pipeline.

Hamid Ansari, the Vice President of India, visited Cuba last week.

            On the flight back to India, Hamid Ansari was effusive about having met Cuba's 87-year-old revolutionary icon Fidel Castro, calling it "the greatest moment and privilege of my political career." News agencies covering Ansari's on-flight news conference, including ndtv.com, quoted Ansari as saying: "The old rebel is fit and in good shape. When a man talks to you for 65 minutes, obviously he is fit. His health is well compared to his 87 years. He is frail, but his mental faculty is strong. I had hoped the meeting would be 20-25 minutes. But it lasted one hour and five minutes. It shows he is in good shape and aware of what is happening around the world. His views have been the same they were for the last five decades. He was concerned about the stockpiling of weapons and dangers faced by the world due to accidents in such a situation. We also talked about other things on his mind, such as gardening and horticulture." Ansari said on the flight home that he had longed to meet Fidel Castro "one more time." He said back in 1983 when he was India's Chief of Protocol, he had met Fidel at the NAM Summit of non-aligned nations in Delhi and "I've admired his life."

     On September 18-2006 {Photo above} India's Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh flew to Cuba to be with Fidel Castro shortly after the revolutionary leader had nearly died from an intestinal problem in late July and August of that year. On his return flight to India, Prime Minister Singh famously said, "Meeting Fidel Castro is the greatest honor of my life. During my lifetime, he has been a giant and the world has few giants." 

In September-2013 Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa flew to Cuba {left} to meet Fidel Castro, whom President Correa idolizes. Between the October, 31st, 2013, visit by Vice President Ansari of India and the September 18th, 2013 visit by President Correa of Ecuador, a span of 43 days, Fidel had not entertained any important visitors nor had Cuba released any updated photos of him. Such intervals spawn rumors, especially by his legion of enemies, about Fidel being dead or on his deathbed. One day, of course, the rumor will be true. 

     This photo, taken by Fidel's son Alexander, shows Fidel welcoming President Rafael Correa of Ecuador into his Havana home on September 18, 2013. After he left, President Correa told a news conference, "I'll say two things about him. One, I was surprised how healthy he is considering what he has been through but not surprised at his mental acumen. He remains the greatest person I have known and, I believe, the greatest on this planet." When 43 days go by without proven, updated photos of Fidel, rumors are rampant outside of Cuba that he has died or is dying. Insiders, notably one of his sons, had informed friends in Paris via phone calls that his mother, Fidel's wife Dalia, had restricted visitors to their home "for several weeks" because Fidel had "a cold." Obviously the cold and Dalia's meticulous dictates fueled the rumors between President Correa's Sept. 18-2013 visit and Vice President Ansari's visit on October 31st, 2013.

        Dalia Soto del Valle married Fidel Castro in 1980 shortly after the death of his revolutionary soul-mate Celia Sanchez and the marriage fulfilled Celia's last request. The photo at the right shows Dalia dining out with her son's girlfriend. She has had five very devoted sons with Fidel. Celia and Dalia became friends when Dalia was a teacher in the south-central colonial city of Trinidad. On her deathbed Celia told Dalia to marry Fidel "and take care of him. God knows, he needs a lot of caring." Dalia never forgot those words from her best friend.

     Celia would be very proud of the job Dalia has done taking care of Fidel since 1980. She persuaded him to give up smoking his famed cigars in 1983. Since his near-fatal illness in July of 2006, she has closely monitored and supervised his health-care. At age 87, Fidel's longevity surprises everyone. For five decades Fidel has said Celia was/is Cuba's greatest revolutionary fighter and leader. He now says, "I'm alive because of Dalia Soto del Valle Castro. She hates publicity but write down all five of her names just so you will know.." Celia was Cuba's prime decision-maker. Dalia was one of Celia's best and most lasting decisions.

And by the way.......................

      ....famed journalist and America's top television personality Ed Sullivan got the first interview {above} with Fidel Castro as the new post-Batista leader of Cuba. It took place on Jan. 4-1959 when Fidel was half-way between Santiago de Cuba, on the island's eastern end, and Havana on the western end. The journey took him seven days after the ouster of the Batista regime verily shocked the world on Jan. 1-1959.

    The triumphant, dilatory journey from Santiago to Havana was delayed by the Ed Sullivan interview and by tumultuous greetings {above} along the way. In this photo a tired Fidel was reacting to the crowd while his soul-mate, Celia Sanchez, was more concerned with getting to Havana to begin the riveting post-Batista rule of Cuba.

    This photo shows Fidel and Celia {back to the camera} finally arriving in Havana on Jan. 7, 1959. The heavily bearded man on the left is Camilo Cienfuegos, who had brilliantly led the capture of Santa Clara the week before and then stormed to Havana hoping that Fulgencio Batista, Meyer Lansky, Rolando Masferrer and the other leaders of the ousted dictatorship would stand and fight. They didn't. When the above photo was snapped, the three most important revoluionary leaders and decision-makers were: Celia Sanchez, Fidel Castro, and Camilo Cienfuegos in that exact order. Camilo, however, died in an airplane accident. If those facts don't compute with what you have been told, it's because you have been successfully and conveniently lied to.

Camilo Cienfuegos died Oct. 28-1959. He was 27-years-old.

Fidel considered Camilo his best rebel commander.

Celia Sanchez considered Camilo almost on a par with Fidel.

      After the death of Camilo Cienfuegos, Cuba's BIG FOUR (in order of importance) was: #1 Celia Sanchez {on the right in the above photo}; #2 Fidel Castro; #3 Vilma Espin; and #4 Raul Castro. Again, if that doesn't compute with what you've been told, it's because you have been successfully and conveniently lied to.

Celia {above} gave Fidel his first anti-Batista rifle when he joined her revolution in the Sierra Maestra.

Fidel had begun to worship Celia the two years in was in prison before he ever laid eyes on her.

Fidel will worship Celia Sanchez till the day he dies.

     This photo shows Celia and Fidel on a typical night in the Sierra Maestra Mountains during the war year of 1958. Celia is holding a candle so Fidel can see to read a book and she can read the latest guerrilla update on the movement of a Batista army.

The next day Celia {above} would be the one to decide what to do about that Batista army.

     In Revolutionary Cuba the prime abode for Celia and Fidel was her small, neat, modest apartment on 11th Street in Havana. In the photo above Fidel is relaxing in his rocking chair with his slippers in the foreground. The always studious and pragmatic Celia, of course, is studying material related to the governing of Cuba. This photo is quite appropriate because Celia was the decision-maker for Cuba and Fidel's primary role was to completely support her decisions, which he did whether or not he fully agreed with them. The great photographer Roberto Salas, a true Cuban insider, wrote in his superb book "A Pictorial History of the Cuban Revolution" these exact words: "Celia made all the decisions for Cuba, the big ones and small ones. When she died of cancer in 1980, we all knew no one could ever replace her." Salas is a highly respected Cuban who would know such things. The remnants of the ousted Batista regime that predicate how Cuba has been perceived in the U. S. since 1959 prefer that you not know what Salas wrote.

      Because the Batista dictatorship was transferred from Cuba to the U. S. in the wee hours of Jan.1-1959 by the hasty departures of Batista, Lansky, Trafficante, Masferrer, etc., to their getaway airplanes, ships, and boats, Americans since 1959 have been successfully proselytized and propagandized to dismiss the significance of Celia Sanchez and Vilma Espin in the Cuban Revolution and in Revolutionary Cuba. The reason for this is quite obvious: It's a lot easier to demonize and vilify macho warriors like Fidel Castro and Che Guevara than petite, beautiful females like Celia and Vilma. Both Celia and Vilma, however, were fearless guerrilla fighters during the war and unchallenged leaders after the rebel victory. Both Celia and Vilma were from rich Cuban families -- Celia's dad was a rich doctor, Vilma's dad a rich lawyer -- but Celia and Vilma waged war on behalf of the Cuban peasants who, they believed, were being raped, robbed, abused, and murdered by the Batista regime. Significantly, after 1959 Celia and Vilma could have lived lavishly but they lived modestly till the day they died of cancer. In the seminal photo above, copyrighted by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Celia and Vilma are taking a break during a lull in the fighting in the Sierra Maestra in 1958. Vilma is smiling sweetly and cheerily for the camera. Around campfires at night Vilma sang and played the guitar and all the rebels were madly in love with her; Raul Castro married her right after the war ended. Beside the frivolous Vilma, Celia meticulously studied reports, as befitted a decision-maker.

By the way, Dickey Chapelle {above} took that iconic photo of Celia Sanchez and Vilma Espin.

Dickey Chapelle was/is the greatest war photojournalist that ever lived.

 But Dickey Chapelle died {above} on Nov. 4-1965 while covering the Vietnam War.
Note that her trademark bush hat is lying near her body.

Celia Sanchez died of cancer on Jan. 11-1980.
Celia's death left Cuba with a Big Three: #1 Fidel; #2 Vilma; and #3 Raul.

Vilma Espin died of cancer on June 18, 2007.
Vilma's death left Cuba with a Big Two: #1 Fidel and #2 Raul.

Cuba still has a Big Two: #1 Commander Fidel and #2 President Raul.

To fly from Miami to Havana to Santiago de Cuba and back to Miami, how many miles would you have flown?

Study this excellent National Geographic map to determine the answer.

Next question: After flying to Cuba's two largest cities, why would you want to fly back to Miami?

{P.S.: I hope the fine folks in Miami can, uh, take a joke.}

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