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The New York Times yet does it again. In the
late 50’s Herbert Mathews befriended Fidel Castro in the Sierra Maestra
mountains of Eastern Cuba. His biased articles printed in the NY Times
converted a proven terrorist into an image of Robin Hood that contributed to
catapulting Fidel into power. Once in charge, Castro quickly drove the top
economy in Latin America into the region’s poorest.
Once again, the New York Times allows its true
colors to show through the Fantasy Island-ish words of Luisita Lopez, who,
carefully manipulated by members of the Cuban tourism industry, emits a
totally unrealistic scene of today’s, and tomorrow’s Cuba.
She fails to mention that apartheid, more
rigorous than it ever was in South Africa, extends throughout the island. NO
Cuban can step foot in a tourist hotel, unless he is an employee. When in
Havana in 1996, the first and only time I have returned since my exile in
late 1960, I had to personally escort an older gentleman friend into the
Hotel National.
Luisita Lopez complains about the food she
ate. She paid in Dollars and got the best there was. She gave examples of
Cuban wages. Just imagine the food that is available to the average Cuban.
Luisita talks about imminent transition.
Hogwash! Castro’s revolution, on the ebb ten years ago, is now on an
upswing. Alliances with Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia and others, promise a lot
more of the same out of Cuba for the foreseeable future. Castro remains the
symbol, but his team runs the country.
It hurts me deeply when a so-called
‘respected member’ of the press corps fails to perform its duty, which, as I
see it, is to provide the public with both sides of every story. Sadly, they
fail to report that in Cuba, on a daily basis, men and women who, in the
most peaceful of ways, work towards a slightly more democratic Cuba, are
brutally harassed and beaten, and very often jailed, where they are subject
to incredible acts of torture.
When will the New York Times print a story
about the real Cuba? Or, better said: Will it ever?
William Butler Salazar
San Juan
Note: To the right of my comments the Star
included a photo of an aged Fidel.
The above commentary,
published by the San Juan Star on February 8, 2006, was brought about by a
three page Cover Story in the SJ Stars Business Monday section. The entire
article by Ms Luisita Lopez which ran in the NY Times on November 27, 2005,
may be viewed at:
http://travel2.nytimes.com/2005/11/27/travel/27cuba.html?ex=1139547600&en=a3921624d3927125&ei=5070
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