Cuban dictatorship: Fidel Castro Is Not Augusto Pinochet

Castro with Pinochet in Chile, 1971

My essay "Fidel Castro is not Augusto Pinochet" is the traditional story of the Third World’s apathy towards the Cuban Dictatorship...For many reasons, I think that Castro is much worse dictator than Augusto Pinochet...

INTRODUCTION:
Since 1960 Fidel and Raul Castro have send a sinister example to Third World nations. The number of countries which democratically governed and respect human rights is decreasing since 2004. Today there are many dictatorships: Thailand [2006], Venezuela, Zimbabwe…


OPPOSITION BY ANTI-PINOCHET GROUPS
Miss Chile, Jenny Purtho Arap, was eliminated in the first round at the Miss Universe Pageant on July 26, 1982, in Lima, Peru’s capital city. Certainly, she, a girl with charming personality and beautiful eyes, was the big favorite by the international journalism. I think that Chile should have been crowned Miss Universe in my country. I believe that she was robbed of title for political reasons.

One of the major problems which Chilean dictatorship had to face was the international boycott campaign. From 1973 to 1989 Chile suffered international sanctions. Different from Cuba, many countries did not have diplomatic relations with Augusto Ramon Pinochet Ugarte, who ruled from 1973 to 1990. Many Chileans did not get VISA, an example was Claudio Arrau, one of the best pianists in the history. The same history of Israel, Taiwan, Rhodesia (currently Zimbabwe) and South Africa (Apartheid).

Ironically, The People’s Republic of China and Romania recognized the Chilean dictatorship. Under the leadership of Mao Tse-tung and Jiang Qing, First Lady of the Chinese Revolution, China and Chile had maintained good diplomatic relations. However, Pinochet Ugarte was harshly attacked by the USSR, Cuba, East Germany, Mexico, Sweden, Italy and Norway.

In 1980 Ferdinand Marcos, dictator of Philippines, invited Augusto Pinochet to come to his country. On March, 1980, he left Santiago de Chile for Philippines and made transit stops in Fidji, an ex British colony, and Tahiti. When Augusto Pinochet arrived Suva, the capital city of Fiji, a small country in the South Pacific, some human rights activists were waiting for him. There were protests against Chilean dictator’s visit. His tour had already begun when the tour was cancelled abruptly at the last moment by the dictatorship Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos.

1976: In the Davis Cup final match, the Chileans lost to Italy, but the team from Chile had a particularly difficult tournament. In Rome, a group of people blocked the entrance to stadium before the match between Chile and Italy, chanting: "Pinochet is a dictator"…"He is a genocide"…Pinochet is Hitler"…and "Pinochet is the worst dictator in the history". Certainly, Chile’s participation again became an issue.

Many famous people went to Festival Internacional de la Canción Viña del Mar, but they were criticized by human rights activists and journalists. Camilo Sesto, Spanish singer, was called "Camilochet". In July 1978, the Mexican government objected to the presence of Miss Chile, Marianne Muller, in the Miss Universe Pageant beauty in Acapulco, Mexico. Another example: Jorge Luis Borges was considered one of the best writers in the 20th Century. He was nominated several times for the Nobel Prize for Literature, but Borges was never awarded the Noble Prize by Swedish Academy. Why? In 1976 Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges visited Chile. Cuba would have wanted to have a writer like him…

The Chilean dictator Augusto Jose Ramon Pinochet never was accepted by the Latin America Community and Third World countries. Pinochet became notorious for human rights abuses and corruption. From 1973 to 1989, more than 3,000 Chileans were killed by Pinochet’s Secret Police Force. His autocratic and anti-communism style of rule earned him many enemies.

THE STUDENT SURPASS THE TEACHER
In comparison to Augusto Pinochet and Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina, Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz, whose father was a Spanish immigrant, is not famous like dictator… He is called "Third World spokesman" Why? Unfortunately people that don’t know Cuba very much think that Castro is a "good man". Honestly, he never has been compared to Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, former dictator of Haiti, and Charles Taylord. "The student always surpass the teacher" is my favorite slogan. In my opinion, I think that Castro´s Communist dictatorship is worse than the former Chilean. Dictatorship.

Cuba is one of the few nations in the world in which a family controls the government. From 1960 to 2006 Fidel Castro was President of the Council of State and Council of Ministers, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba…Currently, Raul Castro Ruz, Fidel’s brother, is the Head of State. They claim that Cuba has the most highest human development rate in the Third world and that Cubans live better in the Island than in South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and India. During Cold War, Cuba received more money per capita than the Socialist Republic of Ethiopia, one of the most poorest nations on Earth.

The country’s resources are used to build Olympic projects devised by dictator’s megalomania. Cuba has one of the most highest suicide rates in the world and the Island has the highest number of abortions in Latin America in relation to its population. Ironically, the standard of human development is going down. Ultimately the prostitution is increasing alarmingly in the Island. The dictatorship restricts such liberties as freedom speech and freedom of the press. Under the socialism, the government has imposed sharp restrictions on artists who criticize the dictatorial system. Reports Without Borders considers Cuba one of the "15 enemies of the Internet". More than 300 artists and writers have defected since 1960: Jose Manuel Carbonell (poet), Lydia Cabrera (writer), Ernesto Caparros (photographer), Ernesto Lecuona (pianist), Guillermo Cabrera Infante (writer), Enrique Labrador (writer), Jesus Diaz (film maker) Nestor Almendros (film maker) and Jorge Esquivel (dancer).

KILLINGS FIELDS AND GAYS
Cuba’s dictatorship was one of the first states in the world that prohibited homosexuality. The general gays rights situation under Cuban Revolution was catastrophic during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.Many gays were jailed, tortured and exiled by Castro’s "Olympic Paradise"…Reynaldo Arenas, a gay writer, was imprisoned several times because of his longtime opposition to Cuban rule. After release, Arenas wrote his autobiography, with the title "Antes que anochezca" (Before night falls).

The Cuban Secret Police is extensively used by Fidel and Raul Castro to suppress and disrupt pro-democratics movements. However, a number of protests against human rights violation are organized by Las Damas de Blanco. Las Damas de Blanco have been compared to Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo (Argentina), who fought against the dictator Jorge Rafael Videla.

Unfortunately, some Third World democracies support the Cuban government for economical reasons. Cuba has sent more than 6,000 doctors, coaches, technicians and teachers around the world. Furthermore there are 15,000 foreign students in the Island.

I would like to finish my essay "Fidel Castro is not Augusto Pinochet" with my favorite personal motto: "Only oppression should fear the full exercise of freedom" by Jose Marti.


By Alejandro Guevara Onofre

REFERENCES:
Alzota, Julio. "Hoy en el Perú surgirá la más bella del Universo", La Prensa, Lima, 26 de julio 1982.
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-Caputo, Robert. "Ethiopia Revolution in Ancient Empire"; National Geographic, Washington DC, may 1983
-Diccionario de Literatura Cubana (tomos I y II), Editorial Letras Cubanas, La Habana, 1980
-Diccionario Sopena de Literatura de Literatura (tomo I), Editorial Ramón Sopena, Barcelona, 1991
-Documental: El Caso Pinochet /Chile/ 2001
-Encyclopaedia Británica Book of The Year 1977, 1981, 1984, Encyclopaedia Britannica. Chicago
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-Grondona, Mariano. "La otra Cuba", Visión, Miami, diciembre de 1993
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-Guzmán, Patricio. Documental: La Batalla de Chile (II)/Chile/ 1977
-Huntington, Samuel. The Third Wave. Democratization in the Latre Twentieth Century, University Oklahoma Press, Norman, 1991
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-Informe sobre Desarrollo Humano 1991-2006, PNUD, New York
-Jorge, Antonio. The Cuban Economy: Dependency and Development, University of Miami, Miami, 1989
-Lande, Carl. "The Return of People Power in The Philippines", Journal of Democracy, Washington DC, January 2001
-Miller, Nicola. Soviet Relations with Latin America 1959-1987, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1989
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-Suchlicke, Jaime. The Cuban Military under Castro, University of Miami, Miami, 1989
-Taufic, Camilo. Chile en la Hoguera, Ediciones Corregidor, Buenos Aires, 1974
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-Zandrox. "Una de ellas puede ser Miss Universo", Extra, Lima, 26 de julio 1982 

From: Buzzle

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FARC commander 'Mono Jojoy' killed. Chavez and Castro losing terrain in Latin America

Jorge Briceño "Mono Jojoy" (right) with Manuel Marulanda Velez "Tirofijo" (killed 2 years ago)

The FARC's military chief, Victor Julio Suarez Rojas, alias "Mono Jojoy," was killed by Colombian state forces, local media reported on Thursday. The news is not yet confirmed by the authorities.

According to the media sources, the leader of the FARC's Eastern Bloc and member of the FARC's Secretariat was killed in an air strike in La Macarena in central Colombia.

Caracol Radio said a military source confirmed the guerrilla leader's death. RCN Radio also said it had had the news confirmed. According to W Radio, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos would not confirm the news.

Mono Jojoy, also known as "Jorge Briceño Suárez," was allegedly the boss of virtually all guerrillas involved in the rebel's war with the state.

Mono Jojoy was considered the military leader of the country's largest guerrilla organization and responsible for holding hostage captured politicians, policemen and soldiers. The veteran guerrilla had a $1.3 million reward on his head and 62 arrest warrants against him.

From: Colombia Reports 

Video - CNN reports

And this is the last part of an interesting article related: The end of the colombian FARC is near.

...It is a fact that the colombian have been successfull in fighting the FARC. The main leaders are dead (Marulanda and Reyes) , in jail , out of the country or on the run ( Mono Jojoy).

The FARC have been defeated in several encounters with the colombian military, and there is a certain possibility that the remaining FARC leader still on the field , alias Mono Jojoy, will sucumb. That if he does not manage to escape through Venezuela or Ecuador.

What will happen with the defeat of the FARC? War, says Chavez. I do not think so.

There is a possibility that the remaining guerrillas will try to survive by using the borders of Venezuela and Ecuador. That will regionalize the conflict and would oblige Chavez and Correa to make a decission. They must be very clear in the definition of which side they will be. The end of Gral. Noriega should be a reminder for those statesmen playing with fire.

The weakening of the FARC will cause that the production of cocain in the region will be reduced -for a while- , and the structure of the production and distribution of narcotics in the region will change.

However, there are more players in the field. Hidden players. Very significant players. Russia and Cuba.

Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro and Evo Morales

Why Cuba? Fidel Castro’s inheritance is to make sure that four or five “pro castrist” leaders in Latin America will remain in power after his death, like Chavez, Correa, Morales, Ortega. He is giving them all his dictatorial know how, specially in the case of Chavez. The ideologist of the “bolivarian” associaton of ALBA is not Chavez , but Fidel Castro. The “Comandante” wants to make it very difficult for the United States in Latin America. He wants also disciples like Chavez to carry on his message. That will be his legacy to the world.

He is not longer interested in the faith of the cuban people. His brother Raul is now the administrator of Cuba. Raul does the homework and Fidel supervise his brother. Fidel is much more interested in saving his place in history. He said once “the history will judge me”, but he wants to be sure that the history will judge him well. The defeat of the FARC will be a setback for Fidel’s ´political plans, because it will push Chavez and Correa in the corner of the political ringside in Latin America.

So, Fidel and Chavez will do everything to stop Colombia and USA from defeating the FARC.

Why Russia? Vladimir Putin and his “mob style” surrounding of oligarchs and former KGB agents wants to recover influence in former soviet republics like f.e. Georgia and Ukraine. Russia want also to stop the expansion of the US in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. One way for Russia to do so is to start playing geopolitics in the region considered by USA as its own backyard: Latin America. As a consequence of that, the military presence of Russia in Venezuela is getting important and will be expanded.

Russia sees with good eyes the increasing economical presence of China in the region.

Maybe Russia wants to force USA to make a trade, similar to the agreements between Kruschev and Kennedy (no nukes in Cuba, no nukes in Turkey).. In this case could be Chavez in exchange for Mikheil Saakashvili or Viktor Yushchenko.

Finally, it is a fact that the expansion of the presence of US military in Colombia is the most important geopolitical move of USA in the last years in order to recover the lost influence of the US in Latin America....

The US objectives are: to defeat the FARC, to reduce the production and distribution of illegal narcotics to the US, to support Colombia as his first ally in South America, to weaken Chavez and his gang, to assure that the history will judge Fidel in a proper way and finally to deal with Russia and China on a more global scope.

Latin America is in fashion now. The big global players are there, once again.. for old times sake. Same tune, thirty years after. Play it again, Sam…

24/09/2010 - Death of El "Mono Jojoy" finally confirmed, the Colombian Government revealed a picture of the body

Last picture of El "Mono Jojoy"

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