In case you thought things have changed
Via Babalu Blog, comes this story about Francisco Chaviano, recently released from hell Combinado del Este and sick as can be.
One of Cuba’s longest-serving political prisoners, Francisco Chaviano, was released Friday on ‘’conditional freedom’’ after serving 13 years in prison—and immediately blasted prison conditions on the island.
‘’I am back from hell,’’ Chaviano, 54, told El Nuevo Herald from his home in Jaimanitas, west of Havana. ``If Dante had known the Combinado del Este [prison], he would not have needed his imagination to write The Inferno. He simply would have told what he saw there.’’
‘’I spent five years stuck in a cell without seeing the sun, two years without receiving visitors and four years without conjugal visits,’’ he added. ``It was a cruel, merciless treatment that was also extended to my family, my wife and my children.’’
Chaviano, a mathematics professor at Havana’s Institute of Chemistry, was arrested on May 7, 1994, and sentenced by a military tribunal to 15 years in prison on charges that he ‘’disclosed secrets concerning the state security’’ and falsified documents.
He had been chairman of the Cuban Civil Rights Council, an organization that supported civil liberties and denounced the penetration of State Security agents into the dissident movement. His case had been brought to the attention of the human rights branches of the United Nations and Organization of American States.
Chaviano said prison life had seriously harmed his health, and that he now suffers from a rapidly growing tumor in one of his lungs and a serious heart condition. During the last two years, he was hospitalized several times with serious pulmonary and cardiac problems, he said.
‘’The damage in my lungs I owe to them [the government]. In Cuba, imprisonment kills,’’ Chaviano said.
But he added that he will not seek exile abroad and vowed to continue to actively oppose the government from inside the island.
‘’This country is a disaster,’’ he said. ``The economic pauperization is visible.’’
Chaviano was one of 73 Cubans regarded as prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International, and of about 200 listed by the illegal but tolerated Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation based in Havana.
‘’We consider his release to be good news, but we regret that—in his case, as in the cases of many other political prisoners—the government of Cuba continues to violate the terms of early release, as established by the current penal code,’’ said commission President Elizardo Sánchez.
Sánchez said that under the code, Chaviano should have been freed unconditionally on May 7.
However, Chaviano remained in prison an extra three months and his release was termed ``conditional.’’
This is for every Moore-on who thinks that things have changed at all in Cuba in the last 35 years or so. Also, how can this man be so ill? Cuba has the best care, and surely they treat citizens, even imprisoned ones, better than we treat enemy combatants at Gitmo, right?
Or not…
Comments
Cuba is an interresting country in the sense that it is functioning. Looking at other communist countries, like the Soviet Union and China, they collapsed because the communistic economy simply collapsed. The Soviet Union ltterally collapsed, while China is successfully preventing political collapse by switching to capitalism, slowly becoming a normal dictature.
Cuba, on the other hand is a politcal dictature (unlike Soviet or Chinese communism where a communist party rules), but the economy is undoubtly a planned communistic economy.
The weird thing, is, the Cuban economy is far from collapsing. Despite embargo, Cuba has an income from tourism, cigars, sugar, rum and *healthcare*. (Source: Wikipedia) Vaccines and other medicine produced in Cuban factories are one of the main sources of income of the country.
Note that Castro exploits this position: If you are a poor country, would you like to buy cheap Cuban medicine or expensive American/European medicine? If you go for the cheap Cuban option, you cannot obey the trade embargo.
Castro likes to oppress his people. Political ideas are not tolerated, and opponents are locked up. Cuba is not the country to threat its prisoners well, so, I 100% believe being imprisoned in Cuba is bad for your health.
However, after checking the facts, I don’t think Moore lied about Cuba.
However, after checking the facts, I don’t think Moore lied about Cuba.
You believe that every Cuban is allowed access to Havana Hospital and the pharmacies are well-stocked with specialty inhalers for very specific lung diseases?
Really?
You actually believe that?
As for your assessment of the Cuban economy...you left out the part where that economy is only for the government officials and the very rich “revolutionaries.” There are two economies in Cuba - one for Castro and his cronies, and one for the Cuban people. The sugar fields are LITERALLY slave labor camps. The rum distilleries are at least 50% government owned, as are the cigar manufacturers. You also left out the part about all the USSR, then later Venezuelan money poured into Cuba to stabilize the country.
Did you even know that Cuban money is worthless, even in Cuba? They use dollars for *everything* and the government lets it slide because they use dollars too.
Your post was *just* like a Moore film: half truth, lies of omission and completely unfounded conclusions.
However, after checking the facts
(Source: Wikipedia)
‘Nuff said.
I was in the middle of posting a response to dimantone, and I just stopped and thought, “why bother?” and then I erased it. I decided that anyone who was going to post something as silly as “Cuba is interesting because it is functioning” probably wouldn’t take the time to think about my rebuttal anyway.
Instead, I took the energy that I was going to use responding to that post, and wrote a letter to Senator Snowe and another one to my Congressional representative. Both were about how I don’t want to give more money to the government for yet another gigantic, wasteful social program, which is what a single-payer system would inevitably be.
Besides, I figured Buzz or Jim or ArtMonkey would pop in and say exactly what I was going to say, only they’d do a better job.
You believe that every Cuban is allowed access to Havana Hospital and the pharmacies are well-stocked with specialty inhalers for very specific lung diseases?
Really?
You actually believe that?
did mikey say that in his movie? or is his dodge gonna be that he asked for a hospital average everyday cubans go to and was instead taken to a special foreigners hospital? and then opps! guess that little factoid ended up on the cutting room. only so much room in the movie. he skirts the edge of truthfulness providing the slimmest of plausibility for his claims and then his moore-ons rush and make the most outrageous arguements on his behalf twisting logic and common-sense into pretzels.
but regardless, his intent was to denigrate the U.S. healthcare system so why show cuba if it wasnt to at least imply it is superior to the U.S. in healthcare. but no one can prove his facts wrong!!
You believe that every Cuban is allowed access to Havana Hospital and the pharmacies are well-stocked with specialty inhalers for very specific lung diseases?
Really?
You actually believe that?
I don’t. Cuba is drowning in powerty and pharmacies might very well have lack of stock.
However I do believe that such an inhaler can be bought for 3.20 pesos. Especially if it is made in a Cuban factory, I don’t see a reason why not.
Did you even know that Cuban money is worthless, even in Cuba? They use dollars for *everything* and the government lets it slide because they use dollars too.
Please check your facts. In a way, Cuban money is useless indeed. Cuba has a dual monetary system, the normal population uses “pesos” and tourists and the elite you point at indeed use a different currency, the “pesos convertibles”. On Cuba, you need the “pesos convertibles” to buy the interresting stuff. I.e. stuff available to tourists and the elite cannot be bought by normal citizens.
Your post was *just* like a Moore film: half truth, lies of omission and completely unfounded conclusions.
I’m not going to pretend that is was accurate since I’m no expert. But please point at the lies.
By the way: The currency Cuba uses for international trading is the euro, not the dollar. It cannot use the dollar because of the embargo:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/210441.stm
Again, please check your facts before making claims.
I don’t think Moore lied about Cuba.
Wow. Just wow.
It cannot use the dollar because of the embargo
You do know that statement is not true, don’t you? Its true that Cuba backs the Euro, but that has nothing to do with the embargo.
Again, please check your facts before making claims.
Again, please check your facts before making claims.
I already did. Do you contest my source? You are free do so, I have no interrest in spreading false information. Does the FED deal with Cuba, which is necessary for international trade?
The trade embargo has been in effect, on and off, since 1958, and consistently since 1982. Somehow for the periods between 1982 and 2004, Cuba got along just fine with the American dollar.
In 1993, Cuba made it legal to possess US currency, which rapidly became the dominant form of currency. Prior to 1993, US currency was still the main currency used, however this was mostly on the blackmarket.
In November 2004, Cuba issued a proclamation stating they would no long accept the American dollar and made efforts to remove the currency from circulation. This was done mainly in an effort to re-establish the socialist economy as citizens receiving US dollars from relatives in the US had greater purchasing power than the government wished them to have.
So, Cuba made the decision to back the Euro.
And yes, prior to 2004, Cuba primarily used the US dollar in international trading. (Here’s a secret...international trade isn’t just with the US. Plenty of countries around the world have no embargo’s against Cuba and trade with them daily)
Never claimed that Cuba using the Euro was false.
Simply said the reason for the move had nothing to do with the embargo.
But please point at the lies.
I did. Everything you left out was a lie of omission.
Again, please check your facts before making claims.
Jesus christ, the cheek. I’m not the one with fantasy for facts here, bub. Check your facts and your attitude.
I did. Everything you left out was a lie of omission.
The only thing you pointed out is that Cuban pharmacies are be empty. Which might indeed very well be the case. Then you made the incorrect statement that in Cuba they use dollars for everything. I’m not going to call you a liar because of that, since you have no intention to spread false stories. Neither have I.
In reading about tourism apartheid on Cuba, I came accross a nice point: There are separate hospitals for Cubans and for tourists.
Nowhere is Sicko it is said what kind of hospital Havana Hospital is, nor can it be found on Moore’s website. IMO the ultimate point to get more information on: if he went to a tourist hospital, his story looses all credibility. If he went to a hospital for Cubans, his story is plausible.
dmantione, why, in your claim to not be lying (by omission, please make sure you understand what that means before you comment again) did you lie outright?
I made more statements than just the two you’ve not yet refuted in any way whatsoever. I also refuted your claims about the Cuban economy. I covered (briefly) your ridiculous mentions of the sugar fields, which are in most accounts of exiles and dissidents forced to work there, worse than the prisons.
You claimed the Cuban economy is working, but neglected to mention the billions in bailouts from the former USSR and lately Huge Chavez.
Yet you’ve chosen to ignore all of this and fixate on the inhaler and the perfectly accurate statement I made about the REAL Cuban economy (i.e. the unofficial one) running on dollars. Even the inhaler thing is likely fraudulent. The very idea that you think a specialized medication would just happen to be available for a few Cuban pesos in the first pharmacy Moore runs across is mind-boggling to me.
At least you are attempting to be open to the whole hospital issue. He did indeed go to Havana Hospital. They’re bragging about it on their official webpage, complete with video clip as proof.
It’s NOT for the average Cuban. Moore lied. About a lot of things.
I see that you Moore bashers and haters are still really reaching to discredit this film in anyway you can with lame attempts by pointing at Cuba.
Well go ahead. This website is tiny compared to what Michael Moore has accomplished through his movies, website and other publicity.
He’s got you guys beat. His movies are way way bigger than this website will ever be.
In the grand scheme of things, this website doesn’t matter.
I see that you Moore bashers and haters are still really reaching to discredit this film in anyway you can with lame attempts by pointing at Cuba.
Well go ahead. This website is tiny compared to what Michael Moore has accomplished through his movies, website and other publicity.
He’s got you guys beat. His movies are way way bigger than this website will ever be.
In the grand scheme of things, this website doesn’t matter.
Then go away.
We matter so little that Moore felt compelled to set me up a year in advance, then put this website in his movie.
We don’t matter at all.
RSS (Subscribe)
Im not going to say Cuba is some kind of paradise, they are a 3rd world country, plain and simple.
But did Moore or anyone say that Cubas health care was better than the care they give enemy combatants at Gitmo?