US and Puerto Rican solidarity groups travel to Cuba

[IndianaGreen]

Havana. July 11, 2005

US and Puerto Rican solidarity groups travel to Cuba

HAVANA, July 11 (PL)—Solidarity groups from the U.S. and Puerto Rico are to travel to Cuba this month in defiance of the restrictions imposed by Washington and denounce the economic, commercial and financial blockade maintained against the island by the U.S.

Javier Domínguez, director of the North American department of the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), quoted by AIN, reported that the 36th contingent of the Venceremos Brigade, made up of 60 people from the U.S, will be in the country from July 17 to 31.

They are coming to learn about aspects of the social and economic realities of Havana and the provinces of Matanzas and Pinar del Río, he added.

The repressive measures taken by the George W. Bush government against people from the U.S. who want to learn about the Cuban Revolution are well known, he noted.

http://granmai.cubaweb.com/ingles/2005/julio/lun11/29solid.html

[Mika]

1. With Dems working hard against them (for campaign $$)

More DINOs from Fla..

New lobby kills threats to embargo
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12111491.htm

As efforts to weaken U.S. sanctions on Cuba seemed to gain strength on Capitol Hill last year, a young Cuban-American lobbyist and a first-term congresswoman from Florida swung into action to quash the initiatives.

Mauricio Claver-Carone, a director of the U.S.-Cuba Democracy Political Action Committee, contacted more than 120 lawmakers, donated money to their campaigns and urged them to reject any easing of the trade and travel sanctions.

With first-term Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Pembroke Pines Democrat, urging her brethren to vote against the initiatives, Congress rejected five of the initiatives two weeks ago.

-

For Wasserman Schultz, a 12-year veteran of the Florida Legislature, Cuba was an early test of her Washington political skills. As a whip for the Cuba Democracy Caucus, she lobbied all 42 fellow freshmen and some senior members from both parties to vote against the amendments. Her spokesman, Jonathan Beeton, claimed that she persuaded ''several'' to vote with her.

Claver-Carone described Wasserman Schultz' role as ''particularly impacting,'' in the same way Miami Republican Mario Diaz-Balart was able to bring in votes from the 2002 freshman class.

[IndianaGreen]

2. "donated money to their campaigns"

Nothing like giving money to the whores in Congress to get them to vote your way.

As to Debbie Wasserman, perhaps this stupid Jewish woman prefers that Cuba returns to the anti-Semitism of the pre-Revolutionary days. Just what the fuck were you thinking about Debbie? Since when do you enjoy sleeping with the Nazis and terrorist supporters of CANF? What's next for you, Debbie, kiss Sharon's ass?

The new group, the Congressional Cuba Democracy Caucus, aims to focus attention on human rights violations in Cuba and on the fledgling dissident movement that is attempting to challenge Castro's rule.

"The members of this caucus will show the people of Cuba our continued commitment to democracy and human rights," said Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla.

The caucus also wants to fight continued attempts to loosen current sanctions on travel and commerce.

"We are very cognizant that unrestricted U.S. tourism to Cuba would provide billions of dollars to the dictatorship," said Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Miami.

http://havanajournal.com/politics_comments/3340_0_5_0_M21/

[Billy Burnett]

3. Ms Wasserman Schultz is fully on board w/the reichwing agin Mr Chavez too

She's written a few op/ed pieces in the Miami Herald and Sun Sentinal with all of the same doublespeak about Hugo Chavez being 'an elected dictator' and 'a friend of Castro' that spews from the anus/mouths of the rightwing.

She goes for the money, and the path toward campaign money in Florida is the anti Cuba and anti Venezuela path.

As Mika intoned, another pathetic Fla dino.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Cuba caravan looking to change U.S. embargo policy

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Cuba caravan looking to change U.S. embargo policy

BY ERIC BAKER
Boomerang Staff Writer

Hordes of caravans are heading down to Cuba at this very moment, delivering tons of emergency medical supplies and, they hope, a message of compassion.

The caravans are organized by the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO) in part to protest what they view as “the United States’ immoral embargo against Cuba.”

One of these buses stopped in Laramie on Sunday evening to give a presentation to the community about their trip. The vehicles bring books, computers and medical supplies to the island, but more important to the volunteers is the message their act of civil disobedience sends to the government.
(snip)

First, Cuban expatriates living in Miami and New Jersey contribute money to politicians and organizations hoping to overthrow Castro, with the mistaken ambition that they will regain property that has already been divided and used in the country. And second, the domino theory, prevalent in Vietnam-era decision-making, holds that other Latin American countries will see that Cuba is somehow managing and try to adopt their style of government.

“What this ignores is Cuba currently has a parliamentary system, same as Britain,” said Bill Hill, a longtime caravan volunteer. “They have elections in Cuba, and the people have voted for Castro.”
(snip/...)

http://www.laramieboomerang.com/news/more.asp?StoryID=103649

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Thanks to I.G. and Billy Burnett for info. on Rep. Wasserman. I've really been trying to understand what kind of critter she is, having only seen her recently on C-Span.

She could have been a decent politician had she followed her conscience. Her integrity is all but gone since she's decided to support CANF deceit and machination.