Tornado Destroys MUCH of Havana

An Historically Cruel Hit!!
{Updated: Wednesday, Jan. 30th, 2019}

     A stunned Cuban woman standing outside what was her Havana home, now totally demolished by the tornado as were many others.

    Most Cuban-Americans are good people who care about both Americans and Cubans on the island. However, since 1959 ONLY a handful of Counter Revolutionary extremists, and their easily acquired greedy sycophants, have dictated America's Cuban policies and America's Cuban narratives. Therefore, when DECENT Cuban-Americans tried to start a Go Fund Me program to help Cubans on the island overwhelmed and devastated by the tornado, the handful of indecent rogues were quick to end the bold and decent effort. So, if you will, read the above refusal of Go Fund Me to allow those decent Cuban-Americans to help the Cubans direly victimized by the tornado. In 2019 for the U. S. democracy to continue to allow RUBIO, THE DIAZ-BALARTS, CLAVER-CARONE, REICH, MENENDEZ and a few others of that ilk to dictate such an endless, cruel, inhumane, and genocidal policy shames America, and these miscreants obviously know that and simply don't care. For almost 200 years the U. S. democracy was strong enough to prevent such shame in its name, but not since 1959. And, folks, 1959 was six decades ago. Think ABOUT IT.

     Among the majority very decent Cuban-Americans is Dr. Arturo Lopez-Levy who has taught at five U. S. universities and is a superb Latin American expert and author. He supported the DENIED Go Fund Me effort to help Cuban victims of the devastating tornado. On his Facebook page Dr. Lopez-Levy mentioned the "gang" he deems responsible for such endless cruelty against innocent Cubans.

    The Associated Press/Ramon Espinosa photo above shows a stunned Cuban girl cradling her little puppy as she is mesmerized by the damage caused by Monday's historic tornado that has devastated much of Havana. Winds reported to be 200 mph ruined homes and everything in their paths. As of Tuesday morning 4 deaths and at least 195 serious injuries were reported. Cubans had not seen a tornado like this in 8 decades!! As the Trump administration allows only anti-Cuban extremists like Marco Rubio to "strangle Cuba once and for all," recovering from this devastation may be a hopeless proposition. Cubans realize that Rubio has no compassion for this little girl or her little puppy, just for the economic and political rewards he can immediately squeeze out of the Trump White House and a mainstream U. S. media that is much too afraid to challenge Miami extremists.

     After the worst tornado in at least 80 years tore into Havana in the wee hours of Monday -- Jan. 28th, 2019 -- this International Business Times photo shows devastated homes and downed power lines as Cubans began viewing the debris near daylight on Monday morning.

       Cuban journalist Rosy Amaro used photos like this taken by the great Yamil Lage to show some of the urgency after the tornado hit Havana. Rosy said, "The maternal hospital Daughters of Galicia in Havana was strongly hit by the tornado. The images of the moment of evacuation of mothers and babies are here."

A rescued baby in Havana.

    This AP/Ramon Espinosa photo shows Cubans who had tried to salvage a few things from their tornado-demolished homes. They were taking these belongings to a bus that was waiting to transfer them to a shelter. In the past 8 decades no tornado has ever done this much damage to hurricane-prone Cuba.

       Coastal prone zones of Havana were flooded and residents like these tried to go inland to some safer havens in the capital city.

    At 1:20 A. M. on Monday morning -- January 28th, 2019 -- my friend in Havana, Rosy Amaro, took time to send me this exact message from Cuba to the USA: "My dear Rich. My family and me are fine. My Havana was affected by a tornado. But we are fine." It was the first I had heard about the tornado. As a democracy-loving American ashamed of America's insanely cruel Batistiano-driven Cuban policies, I am deeply proud that Rosy knows how much I care about her safety and the safety and well-being of her 5-year-old Mariana.

       Almost a sleepless night in Havana for Rosy and Mariana Monday night -- Jan. 27, 2019. I hope they feel much safer and happier three days later. At 3:20 A. M. back on Monday morning, Rosy told me she had gotten Mariana to sleep, saying, "Yes, Mariana is sleep. I'm gathering information and I'm working at home." Rosy is first a mother and then a top journalist on the island.

     As of very early Monday morning -- Jan. 28th, 2019 -- Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel had toured the tornado damage in Havana and updated Cubans on television and on his Twitter page. As you can see he reported at that time that "3" Cubans had died and "172" had been injured according to early accounts. Diaz-Canel is the white-haired man in the tan jacket at the scene in the above photos.

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U. S. CRAVES Mariel Port

But Cuba Prefers Vietnam's Offer!!

    Since Jan. 1-1959 Counter Revolutionary Cubans in the USA have craved regaining control of Cuba but in January of 2019 more-and-more U. S. business executives would settle for just claiming, or at least having a piece of, Cuba's magnificent Port of Mariel, which is located about 30 miles southwest of Havana. {See Mariel on the above Map}.

      Even the top executives at ports in southern Florida, many of them Cuba-friendly Cuban-Americans, are extremely envious of Cuba's Mariel Port, and for good reason: It'll be WORLD-famous soon.

     This map spotlighting the Port of Mariel with the red circle shows the extreme strategic location of Cuba's prized port. But beyond its location, it is a state-of-the-art deep-water port that has been in operation since 2014 fully capable of handling huge ships that pass through the newly widened Panama Canal. Mariel has 702-meters of modern decks, 4 massive cranes, a 27-hectare container yard, etc., etc. The McGraw Center of Business Journalism says Mariel can handle 824,000 containers a year and has a capacity to easily move past a million a year. In addition to the United States, other world powers -- especially China, Vietnam, and Russia -- covet Mariel...and guess which nation has already carved out a niche with its own ultra-modern Industrial Park at Mariel?

     This map illustrates Vietnam's belief that the Mariel Port is about to become one of the most important ports in the world. Since winning the Vietnam War and uniting it as a Communist country, Vietnam has been a major trading partner with the U. S. and has been wildly congratulated by visits from Presidents Obama and Bush. Vietnam used the map above to point out that "if and when the USA relaxes its embargo against Cuba, Mariel the next day would become one of the world's most important and valuable ports. Its location and its technical advances would assure that."

    In what Cuba calls its Mariel Economic and Investment Zone, Vietnam's vast Viglocera Real Estate Company is building its own magnificent Industrial Park that will not only cater to offices, restaurants, hotels, houses, etc., but stress all aspects of "Mariel's current trade as well as the unlimited commercial potential it entails."

   Savvy when it comes to U. S. and international trade, Charles Alistair Baker is the General Manager of the Mariel Terminal. Mr. Baker says, "In 2018 we moved 349,000 tons of container material but we had the capacity to move 800,000 and also have the capacity to sharply increase that." Mr. Baker knows the USA craves Mariel.

     The Executive Director of the Mariel Economic Zone, Ana Teresa Igarza says, "If you look at the map and also check our facilities, anyone will comprehend its potential. Companies being established in the Zone have a permanent and direct connectivity with the world of trade. It connects East-West shipping routes for trade with the Gulf ports and the East Coast of the USA. The Vietnamese development is the major investment at the moment but we have signed agreements as well as impressive offers from many more. I have been asked about the USA and I will repeat that I would love to consider...to balance...such offers on totally even terms with any others. I have certainly discussed this with enough Americans who fully realize how beneficial it could be to American ports and to American commerce if we were friends, not enemies."

The Port of Mariel.

The Port of Mariel.

The Port of Mariel.

The Port of Mariel.

     The left-handed Ana Teresa Igarza is a very sweet lady and she happens to be the boss at Cuba's magnificent Mariel Port. She is anxious to sign deals with foreign investors, including American companies.

     Cuba-friendly Frank Del Rio is one of the ultra-rich and ultra-powerful Cuban-American businessmen in Miami. He is the President and CEO of the omnipotent Norwegian Cruise Lines. Like most Cuban-Americans, Frank yearns for normal relations between the USA and Cuba. When the decent and brave President Obama, at least prior to Trump, did his best to normalize U.S.-Cuban relations, Frank rejoiced and he unabashedly cried when he spotted Cuban land from the bow of one of his huge commercial ships as it legally neared Havana. When decent and powerful Cuban-Americans like Frank Del Rio are virtually voiceless during Republican administrations in Washington...while pipsqueaks like Marco Rubio dictate policy...most decent Cuban-Americans, like Frank, and all Americans, like me, have every right to shed tears for their country and  for their precious democracy.

     AND NOW...study this map of Cuba AND REMEMBER that the title of this essay is: "U. S. CRAVES MARIEL PORT." Notice that on the southeastern tip of Cuba is the lush, controversial United States Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. And notice on the northwestern tip of Cuba, just southwest of Havana, is the Mariel Port. In 1903, after the U. S. had gained dominance over Cuba because of the 1895 Spanish-American War, the U. S. simply stole plush Guantanamo Bay from Cuba...simply because it could. Now in January of 2019 the U. S. wants to steal plush Mariel Port from Cuba...simply because with Brazil's help it can. Americans since 1903 have been programmed to believe that Guantanamo Bay was legitimately acquired from Cuba; Americans in 2019 will be programmed to believe that the theft of Mariel Port is "to help the Cuban people." Such incredible lies related to U.S.-Cuban relations are effective for one reason: We Americans...through 3+ generations since 1952...have been the most ignorant, the most undemocratic, and the most cowardly generations in American history. And if that's not true, I would surely like for some smarter and braver American than me to explain to all of us WHY that is not so.

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V

Cubans Expect Military Attack

With MIAMI Controlling TRUMP!!
{Sunday, January 27th, 2018}

      Americans, I believe, should ignore  the U. S. media's coverage of Cuban issues...such as the impending war in Latin America using the troubles in Venezuela as the pretext...and study the updated photo above, which is courtesy of the Miami-based Progreso Weekly. This now typical scene on a Cuban street illuminates two topical facts: {1} Cubans today are wired to the internet and social media, and thus they know what is happening in Miami, Washington, Caracas, Brasilia, and Havana; and {2} Cubans today believe a Miami-orchestrated war approved by Presidents Trump & Bolsonaro and launched from Brazil is designed to execute regime changes primarily in Cuba but also in Cuba's three closest perceived friends -- Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Bolivia. Americans are programmed to ignore what Cubans on the island are thinking and concentrate solely on what Little Havana Counter Revolutionary Marco Rubio and his unsavory clan tell them to think.

    Yesterday -- Jan. 26, 2019 -- one of Cuba's best known and most beloved mothers -- Rosy Amaro Perez, a television news anchor -- posted the photo above on her social media pages. It shows Rosy tightly hugging her 5-year-old daughter Mariana...and in the forefront it shows two good-luck charms. Rosy explained: "Algien que nos guiere mucho nos ha traido del extremo oriental de Cuba dos piedras." {"Someone who loves us very much has brought us two stones from the eastern end of Cuba."} And so...the two photos above, far more than the U. S. media coverage, attests to what Cubans on the island are thinking this weekend: Most of them anticipate Miami-devised/military-powered regime-changes, first in Venezuela and then in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Bolivia. And most Cubans, such as Rosy, who have often been to other countries and could readily fly to safer havens, will choose to stay in Cuba and await their fate...in defiance of Rubio.

     Cubans on the island realize that the image depicted above from Tuesday, Jan. 22nd, 2019, represented a celebratory coup for Marco Rubio. He and three other anti-Cuban Counter Revolutionary zealots from Florida had just left the White House where they reportedly informed President Trump it was time for a military solution, not just sanctions and terror tactics, to once-and-for-all regain Cuba and use the Venezuelan turmoil as well as the cooperation from Brazil to accomplish that goal. Of course, the U. S. media is not about to mention the significance of Rubio's triumphant march back on Tuesday to that bank of microphones in front of the White House. But Cubans on the island as well as braver and less biased media sources...such as The Guardian in London...are telling their readers about the significance of the above photo...and that significance includes this week's joint Russian-Venezuelan Air Forces conducting urgent training missions that include Russia's most-advanced nuclear-aircraft now operating out of Russia's first Latin American military base, which happens to be on a Venezuelan island about 125 miles north of Caracas. But meanwhile, contemplate whether Rubio, the Little Choirboy from Little Havana, should be dictating America's Cuban policies AS LONG AS Trump holds on to the U. S. presidency.

      A Rubio, on behalf of the most-zealous Little Havana Cubans, dictating a possible Latin American War for the purpose of FINALLY reclaiming Cuba IS NOT EXACTLY the situation the United States of America, and the world, deserves to be in right now.

     Only war-mongers and proselytized idiots, in my opinion, are not alarmed at the image depicted above: TRUMP being told what to do by RUBIO. And at the moment, that's America's greatest threat: A biased and unsavory lightweight like Rubio roaming unchecked by Trump and by the mainstream U. S. media. And history may one day register the fact that a propaganda-obsessed/punditry-driven mainstream U. S. media that doesn't have the guts or integrity to challenge Rubio was/is a bigger threat to America and to Democracy than Trump ever was.

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What Cubans Are Saying

The Government, The PEOPLE!!

      On the island of Cuba, both the government and the everyday citizens believe a Caribbean and Latin American War is inevitable. They believe they will lose the war and be forced to revert to a "guerrilla-style second revolutionary effort, one that will last much longer than Fidel's 1952-1959 Revolution." The Cuban mother who posted that comment on her social media page was reflecting the common views of the common Cubans. They believe that the latest post-Obama anti-Cuban Republican administration in Washington is "the most dangerous and the most corrupt of the U. S. administrations since 1952." The 1952 date refers to the year Cubans believe the U. S. sicced the Mafia on Cuba. They believe the Perfect Storm that has evolved today involves an incompetent and harassed President, Donald Trump, and three vicious anti-Cuban zealots anxious to take advantage of that situation -- Marco Rubio, Mike Pompeo, and John Bolton. The Cuban mother and the majority of other everyday Cubans on the island are convinced that Trump's "strings" are being pulled by Rubio, Pompeo, and Bolton. And they believe that the quartet depicted above is "willing" to launch a Latin American War to regain control of Cuba, a war that will "begin with the demise of Cuba's regional allies," meaning Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Bolivia. And Cuban citizens do not believe that their three most powerful international allies -- China, Russia, and Vietnam -- will risk an all-out war against the United States to protect Cuba.

     Both everyday Cubans -- who are now very active across the social media platforms -- as well as the Cuban government believe that Senator Marco Rubio is "wickedly in charge of directing the anti-Cuban Latin American War," meaning President Trump "for reasons unknown now" feels totally obligated to do "whatever" Rubio tells Trump to do. And all levels of Cubans on the island believe Rubio's "blind obsession" is for Miami Cubans to regain control of Cuba. They wonder, beyond Miami's powerful political influence on Republicans, if "Rubio knows something that scares Trump, and could reveal it."

     Cubans believe that earlier this week at the White House, Rubio told Trump to begin Venezuelan President Nicolas Madura's demise by recognizing anti-Cuban Juan Guaido as the President of Venezuela. Trump, of course, did that and, because of the dire economic and political turmoil in Venezuela, plenty of nations, including Canada, support that move with only China, Russia, Vietnam, Mexico, and Turkey among major nations opposing it. 

      With Rubio "treating" Trump much like a puppet as far as Cubans on the island believe, Juan Guaido actually took the oath of office as Venezuela's new President. Then Trump ordered the Federal Reserve to direct all Venezuelan assets to Guaido. A top Cuban journalist who speaks for the government, Sergio Alezandro Gomez, wrote in the state media: "There is nothing better than a conflict abroad to ease the internal scandals of the United States. And there are signs that Venezuela could be the next victim of that maxim of the American political system." Gomez successfully preaches that finishing off Venezuela financially is aimed at finishing off Cuba financially, making it easier to execute regime-changes in Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Bolivia...with the U. S. Southern Command poised in Brazil to initiate the military aspects of "what is going on."

     Meanwhile, Cubans...both the government and everyday citizens..."are sad" that Canada "the friend we need is supporting Rubio against us." Cubans also are aware that former Cuba allies such as Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Peru, etc., now have U.S.-friendly right wing or conservative governments that do "Rubio's bidding" but Cubans are most disappointed that Canada "is also abandoning us, the Cubans that President Justin Trudeau's dad Pierre loved so much."

     And meanwhile, both the Cuban government and everyday citizens are also absorbed with preparing for a "Si"..."Yes"...vote on February 24th to enact the island's first new "Reform Constitution" that will replace the old 1976 Constitution. "We need the market reform that our new Constitution will mandate," said the everyday Cuban mother on her social page. "Rubio, as long as Trump is in office, will isolate us more and more before taking the next step to conquer us. We will guerrilla-fight, you know, but till then we are mostly concerned with the new Constitution that our new Presidente Miguel wants too."

     And so, while the mainstream U. S. media and U. S. citizens are mostly obsessed with Trump's pending impeachment and other such topics, Rubio...Cubans believe...has full clearance to start a Latin American War as a key component of reclaiming Cuba to appease the Counter Revolutionary zealots in Rubio's hometown, which they know is Little Havana in Miami. But that Cuban mother active on social media is trying to concentrate, as above, on continuing to study that Constitution Reform that she hopes will take effect starting February 24th, 2019. "Actually," she says, "what Rubio is being allowed to do in 2019 is nothing new for us. Since 1959, whether it's war or terror directed from Miami and supported by the Superpower, we are accustomed to all that. And we still have to try to live, while not capitulating to foreigners."

Yes, Cubans active on social media THINK Venezuela IS NEXT.
MEANWHILE:

    Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, after meeting with Cuban Vice President Ricardo Cabrisas this week, said Russia will "totally upgrade" Cuba's aged national airline. He noted that, because of the U. S. embargo, Cuba is unable to purchase or lease any airplanes with U. S. components or connections. In May of 2018 on the edge of Havana a 39-year-old Boeing 737 leased from Mexico, on an internal Cuban flight, crashed and killed 112 of the 113 people on board. Borisov also said Russia will team with Spain and China to "drastically upgrade" Cuba's railway system. Russian locomotives have already begun to arrive at Cuban ports. Cabrisas told Borisov, "Our President Miguel Diaz-Canel's top two priorities are improving our economy and improving our transit system."

Cuban Vice President Ricardo Cabrisas.

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Cuba Will Lose Venezuela

It's Key Ally Will Be Missed!!
{Friday, January 25th, 2019}

Photo credit: Reuters/EPA.

     The world waits now to see if U. S. President Donald Trump will start or will prevent a raging Latin American War pitting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro against Venezuelan President Juan Guaido. Most of the world, including Canada, supports the USA position backing Guaido while Cuba, Russia, China, Mexico, and Turkey are among the countries supporting Maduro, who also at the moment has the support of the strong Venezuelan military that has been updated recently by Russia. The U. S. State Department has informed the Federal Reserve that Guaido is the agent for access to Venezuelan assets in U. S. banks. And it is known that if the U. S. acts militarily in Venezuela it would begin with the U. S. Southern Command out of Colombia. Also known is the fact that eager war-mongers in the Trump administration are watching intently for any Maduro reaction that could be used as a pretext, or excuse, for a U.S.-led military solution. With Maduro now cornered and boxed in, war seems inevitable as the U. S. waits to see if the Venezuelan military forces will turn against Maduro and finish him off.

Photo credit: Fernando Llano/Associated Press.

    Photos like this from Venezuela indicate conclusively that President Nicolas Madura's days are numbered, and not just because United States President Donald Trump Wednesday recognized Madura's prime opponent, Juan Guaido, as the new Venezuelan President. There are enough Venezuelans who agree with that non-election movement. Additionally, unbiased nations like Canada agree with it, not to mention the Lima Group of twelve significant nations. That fact solidifies the denouement for Madura and surely something had to evolve in oil-rich but bankrupt Venezuela. But the Madura-to-Guaido turmoil threatens to ignite conflagrations the likes of which Latin America has never known and which America has never known in its own backyard. But without support from nations like Canada and from the Lima Group, America's reputations for regime-changes in Latin America involving democratically elected Presidents, from 1953 in Guatemala till deep into the 1970s in Chile, would have meant that Trump's United States of America as the main broker in changing Venezuela's government would not have been acceptable.

     But the worst thing, I believe, related to the Latin American-Caribbean fireworks that will evolve from this week onward is having the back-stabbing/back-patting Little Choirboy from Little Havana dictating Latin American policy to America's seriously harassed President and Commander-in-Chief, who needs all the support he can muster, including from a handful of anti-Cuban zealots from Miami. When an extremely greedy, awesomely biased one-trick-pony like Marco Rubio can dictate Latin American/anti-Cuban policy to President Trump, the ramifications will likely be far more widespread and bloodier than they need to be and would be if more intelligent and less biased individuals...such as true statesmen...were the decision-makers.

     The Voice of America spread the above photo around the world January 24th to point out that 40 years ago President Jimmy Carter used diplomacy to normalize relations with China. Mr. Carter was probably America's all-time most decent President and also possibly the most intelligent. Thus, considering his unsavory political enemies and untimely events such as the Iran hostage situation, Mr. Carter was only a one-term President. By contrast, because of the Bush dynasty's tight, self-serving ties to Miami's Counter Revolutionary Cubans, George W. Bush was a two-term President.

     This, too, is a Voice of America photo that reminds us of the Coming Chaos that will engulf America, Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil, the Caribbean, and Latin America...and perhaps the world. January 24th the Venezuelan military announced support for beleaguered President Nicolas Madura; and Russia, which has greatly updated the Venezuelan military, warned the U. S. against mounting a coup in Venezuela to please the anti-Cuba USA Cubans and to "take control of Venezuela's oil." Venezuela, as both Russia and China well know, has the world's largest known oil reserves.

      President Donald Trump and his National Security Adviser John Bolton are in stark contrast, of course, to the decency of President Carter. Every peace-lover and democracy-lover in Washington cringed when Trump anointed Bolton, infamously known to be a scary war-monger, as a key adviser. On January 24th Venezuelan President Madura ordered U. S. diplomats out of the country. Bolton then bragged that the U. S. diplomats would stay and he dared Madura to harm them. During George W. Bush's two terms as President, Bolton famously searched for excuses to persuade Bush to attack Cuba, once claiming openly that Cuba was a nuclear threat to the USA. It is presumed Bolton is now searching for excuses to attack Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Bolivia. The VOA photos that remind us of diplomacy 40 years ago and chaos now are very ominous.

     Yes, it is common knowledge that John Bolton desperately tried to persuade President George W. Bush to attack Cuba. In 2019 it appears that Bolton is having more success in persuading President Trump to attack Cuba...while also throwing in regime-changes in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Bolivia. If war-mongers like Bolton accomplish those goals, Americans for generations will likely be paying, in green dollars and red blood, for the aftermaths that will surely follow...such as endless guerrilla-style warfare.

     But the Little Choirboy from Little Havana remains the chief architect of the shift from Obama decency to Trump lunacy regarding America's Cuba Policy. It is, as everyone in Washington knows, Marco Rubio who has surrounded Trump with prime anti-Cuba war-mongers -- including Western Hemisphere boss Mauricio Claver-Caron, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and, of course, National Security Adviser John Bolton. As has already happened, expect Rubio to be all over the U. S. television networks bragging about his part in the upcoming chaos in Latin America...and beyond. As a dangerous, self-serving politician, Rubio is a joke but even the left-wing media trying so hard to impeach Trump is much too afraid of the Miami Cubans to hold Rubio accountable for anything he does or says...the same Rubio that Washington's best investigative journalist, Ken Silverstein, says "is head and shoulders above everyone else in Washington when it comes to corruption and chicanery." Now when you consider that people like Senator Bob Menendez and National Security boss John Bolton are in Washington, ponder what Ken Silverstein's depiction of Marco Rubio REALLY MEANS.

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