World News Random, Random

[ti-amie]

Biden Calls Cuba Protests ‘Clarion Call for Freedom’
A day after a rare outbreak of anti-government protests in Cuba, the United States and Cuba traded sharp words.

By Oscar Lopez and Ernesto Londoño
July 12, 2021
Updated 1:51 p.m. ET
As the largest protest movement in decades swept Cuba, President Biden on Monday called on the Cuban government to heed the demands of thousands of citizens who took to the streets on Sunday to protest power outages, food shortages and a worrying lack of medicine.

“We stand with the Cuban people and their clarion call for freedom,” Mr. Biden said in a statement. “The United States calls on the Cuban regime to hear their people and serve their needs at this vital moment rather than enriching themselves.”

His comments followed a day of astonishing demonstrations in Cuba. In a country known for quashing dissent, remarkable scenes emerged around the nation on Sunday, with thousands of Cubans taking to the streets in a surge of protests not seen in nearly 30 years.

Shouting phrases like “freedom” and “the people are dying of hunger,” protesters overturned a police car in Cardenas, 90 miles east of Havana. Another video showed people looting from a government-run store — acts of open defiance in a nation with a long and effective history of repressive crackdowns on expressions of opposition.

Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, spoke out on national television on Monday, calling the demonstrations a consequence of an underhanded campaign by Washington to exploit peoples’ “emotions” at a time when the island is facing food scarcity, power cuts and a growing number of Covid-19 deaths.

“We must make clear to our people that one can be dissatisfied, that’s legitimate, but we must be able to see clearly when we’re being manipulated,” Mr. Díaz-Canel said. “They want to change a system, to impose what type of government in Cuba?”

Mr. Biden’s comments represented something of a shift in tone from that of former President Barack Obama, who had emphasized sweeping aside decades of animosity between the two countries and cutting loose “the shackles of the past.” Mr. Obama made restoring relations with Cuba a focal point of his foreign policy and significantly expanded ties between the two countries — a détente that the Trump administration quickly moved to strip away.

But the protests in Cuba on Sunday offered a rare moment of bipartisanship in the United States, with Democrats and Republicans alike speaking out in support of the demonstrations.

“America stands with the oppressed Cuban people assembling for their birthright of #Libertad,” former Vice President Mike Pence wrote on Twitter. “America stands for a free and democratic Cuba!”

Others, however, blamed the American trade embargo for the protests and the deprivation driving them, a position the Cuban government took on Sunday when the demonstrations erupted.

“The truth is that if one wanted to help Cuba, the first thing that should be done is to suspend the blockade of Cuba as the majority of countries in the world are asking,” Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, told reporters on Monday. “That would be a truly humanitarian gesture.”

But some Cuban activists in the United States, including those who oppose the embargo, were quick to challenge that narrative.

“There’s no food, there’s no medicine, there’s nothing, and this isn’t a product of the American embargo, which I do not support,” said Ramón Saúl Sánchez, president of the Movimiento Democracia advocacy group in Miami. He noted that the embargo does allow Cuba to buy food from the United States, though restrictions on financing present significant barriers to the amount.

The size of Sunday’s demonstrations, which played out across the country, stunned longtime Cuba analysts. It reflects how dire life in Cuba has become in recent months, as the pandemic deprives the island of vital tourism revenue and strains the health system, the electricity grid falters, and the prices of basic food staples like rice and beans soar.

“There are tremendously long lines to get into supermarkets,” which these days only accept dollars, said Katrin Hansing, an anthropologist at Baruch College in New York who spent much of the past year doing research in Havana. “The same can be said for medicine. There is nothing: There is no penicillin, there’s no antibiotics, there’s no aspirin. There’s nothing, really.”

On social media, videos of protesters decrying the lack of electricity and basic supplies circulated widely on Monday.

“I took to the streets because I’m tired of being hungry,” said Sara Naranjo, in a video shared on Twitter. “I don’t have water, I don’t have anything,” she said, adding, “you get bored, you get tired, you’re going crazy.”

Some observers called the mass demonstrations on Sunday inspiring, but also feared a crackdown, with Mr. Díaz-Canel calling on his supporters to take to the streets as well. Opposition groups reported that scores of activists were unaccounted for on Monday, fueling fear that security forces had taken a large number of demonstrators into custody.

Dissidents posted the names and photographs of several people they feared had been detained. Security forces in Cuba often take prominent activists into custody, or prevent them from leaving home during tense times, and videos circulating on social media showed the authorities patrolling the streets, violently detaining people.

But it was hard to ascertain the extent of a crackdown because internet connectivity was down in much of the island on Monday, a common tactic to suppress the ability of opponents to organize or even get basic information.

Some said the protests meant that Cubans had become increasingly emboldened to criticize their government, which typically puts down acts of dissent with ruthless efficiency.

“The basic economic situation is what’s pushing people to go out and raise their voices,” Ms. Hansing said. “But there’s also a loss of fear, and once that barrier is broken and more and more people see a significant number of people have lost their fear, more and more start getting encouraged.”

Ernesto Londoño is the Brazil bureau chief, based in Rio de Janeiro. He was previously an editorial writer and, before joining The Times in 2014, reported for The Washington Post.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/12/worl ... e=Homepage

[JazzNU]

I understand activists ignoring it, but have not been clear in recent years why supposedly objective journalists covering Cuba for a story like this mention the embargo and leave out the significant amount of overseas trade Cuba does with many, many non-communist countries including the EU.

[Suliso]

It's a fairly popular holiday destination for Europeans these days or perhaps I should say was before the pandemic.

[ponchi101]

Because it is the convenient, preferred SOUTH AMERICAN narrative. You evil gringos are the sole reason why Cuba is an impoverished country, with your evil embargo.
As you say, no mentioning ever that Cuba can do any and all business with Europe or South America. For example, the Spanish basically have a monopoly on the tourist sector of the island. Venezuela, since Chavez, sends them 160,000 barrels/day, almost for free (payable starting in 2025, at constant prices). Argentinians, with the stupid "Che Guevara was great" mentality, travel a lot to Havana, and they believe that Cuban medicine is "top class". I have a dear friend that had an eye operation in Cuba, and went back to Argentina fully satisfied. He is blind today (and I don't mean that figuratively).
So it is a nice narrative. Chavez once called Cuba "The Island of Happiness" and indeed, he took us there. Why people living in an island of happiness risk crossing 90 miles of shark infested waters in converted CARS (not boats) escapes the mentality of those obsessed with communism and truly outdated and idiotic philosophies.
But hey, that is the reason we are 3rd world. We basically asked for it.
(Sorry, the subject infuriates me. Not you asking, but the way people down here see it).

[ti-amie]

Florida resident detained as key suspect in Haitian president's assassination

A 63-year-old Haitian-born Florida resident has been arrested as a top suspect in the July 7 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, according to multiple reports. Christian Emmanuel Sanon, a self-identified doctor, joins a list of more than two dozen people who have been accused of having a role in the president’s killing, according to ABC News. Two more Haitian-American suspects have been identified in the investigation, including one former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) informant named Joseph Vincent, according to Reuters. The latest:

- A US delegation that traveled to the country on Sunday said that “there is a lack of clarity about the future of political leadership” in Haiti

- A majority of the Haitian Parliament is calling on a new government to replace interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph, according to The New York Times

- ABC News was unable to verify if Sanon is in fact a licensed physician

- Two additional Haitian-Americans have been identified in the assassination, including one former DEA informant
Video via @dwnews

[JazzNU]

Christian Emmanuel Sanon, a self-identified doctor, joins a list of more than two dozen people who have been accused of having a role in the president’s killing, according to ABC News.

- Two additional Haitian-Americans have been identified in the assassination, including one former DEA informant

I'm so mad at this. We went from doctor to self-identified doctor, and I'm thinking the next article will l be that he's an exterminator who took some science classes or something. WTH is going on here?

Are we supposed to know someone is a DEA informant? It looks like he's involved so I'd guess his fate is sealed, but if he's one of the less guilty parties to say cooperate and gets a lighter sentence, you just exposed him so brand new peril to meet him on the other side of this.


Thanks for the updates on this story @Ti.

[ti-amie]

Talk about a false flag operation.

I suspected that Sanon wasn't a doctor when he wasn't working at any medical facility.

The man declared bankruptcy in 2013 and is now flying in private jets and "masterminding" this plot? I don't buy it.

[ti-amie]

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro hospitalized after 10 days of hiccups

By
Sammy Westfall
July 14, 2021|Updated today at 1:53 p.m. EDT

There’s holding your breath, getting spooked or sipping ice cold water — but Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro can’t seem to shake his case of hiccups.

The hiccups have persisted for so long — more than 10 days — that the country’s far-right leader has been hospitalized so doctors can try to figure out the cause.

In the many recent presidential live streams, Bolsonaro’s hiccuping is evident — and he has prefaced some talks with acknowledgment of his hiccuping and disrupted speech. In one July 8 clip, Bolsonaro hiccuped approximately 14 times within his first minute speaking.

Bolsonaro has had a run of health scares. He nearly died on the 2018 campaign trail after being stabbed in the abdomen. He lost a lot of blood and suffered a serious wound to his intestine. He contracted covid-19 last July after playing down the coronavirus for months. While in quarantine, he was bitten by an emu-like giant bird. He’s had a stubborn cough, too.

‘Hiccups’ were trending on Google in relation to Bolsonaro this past week, Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported.

The president said that he had dental implant surgery Saturday, and he suggested a possible link between the post-implant medication and his 24/7 hiccups.

He’s expected to be under observation at the Armed Forces Hospital in Brasília for a day or two — although he will not necessarily remain in the hospital building. “He is feeling good and doing well,” the president’s press office said in a statement.

The hiccups and examinations caused Bolsonaro to cancel his entire agenda Wednesday, including meetings with the heads of the three branches of government.

Mark V. Larson, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and internist, told The Washington Post that while transient hiccups are very common, persistence for more than a day is already quite rare. Bolsonaro’s 10-day spell is very rare.

He said that medications taken after the surgery, or even the surgery itself, could plausibly have triggered the symptoms.

Hiccups are involuntary contractions of your diaphragm — a dome-shaped muscle between your chest and abdomen. Normally, it contracts and relaxes to let air flow in and out of your body. But irritation can cause spasms, bringing a rush of air through your throat, Larson said. Your vocal cords rapidly close up and cause the distinct hiccup sound.

Hiccups can be caused by physical and emotional changes and disruptions — stress, sore throats, cold drinks or eating too fast, for example — so pinpointing any cause for the Brazilian president’s hiccup bout isn’t possible without an examination.

Prolonged hiccups can be a serious problem, or indicate one. Doctors recommend seeking medical attention if they persist longer than 48 hours, especially if they disrupt sleep.

Causes can range from something as small as swallowing too much air while chewing gum to something as serious as a tumor — and longer cases can be connected to damage or irritation to the nerves near the diaphragm.

In rare cases, hiccups persists for lengthy stretches. One man, the late Charles Osborne of Iowa, reportedly hiccuped for 68 years straight.

A specialist in Brasília told O Globo that Bolsonaro’s hiccups could be caused by the dental implant because of oral and phrenic nerve relationships. The specialist said it was unlikely that the stabbing had anything to do with the hiccups.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/20 ... d-hiccups/

[MJ2004]

One man, the late Charles Osborne of Iowa, reportedly hiccuped for 68 years straight.

[mmmm8]

Because it is the convenient, preferred SOUTH AMERICAN narrative. You evil gringos are the sole reason why Cuba is an impoverished country, with your evil embargo.
As you say, no mentioning ever that Cuba can do any and all business with Europe or South America. For example, the Spanish basically have a monopoly on the tourist sector of the island. Venezuela, since Chavez, sends them 160,000 barrels/day, almost for free (payable starting in 2025, at constant prices). Argentinians, with the stupid "Che Guevara was great" mentality, travel a lot to Havana, and they believe that Cuban medicine is "top class". I have a dear friend that had an eye operation in Cuba, and went back to Argentina fully satisfied. He is blind today (and I don't mean that figuratively).
So it is a nice narrative. Chavez once called Cuba "The Island of Happiness" and indeed, he took us there. Why people living in an island of happiness risk crossing 90 miles of shark infested waters in converted CARS (not boats) escapes the mentality of those obsessed with communism and truly outdated and idiotic philosophies.
But hey, that is the reason we are 3rd world. We basically asked for it.
(Sorry, the subject infuriates me. Not you asking, but the way people down here see it).

When I was there, I saw no Spanish people. Are you saying they are investors in the tourist sector?

The tourists were British and Canadians primarily, then Americans (At the time (2017-18), the country was opening up to the US), then other Europeans.

[MJ2004]

Lots of Spanish tourists. A good number of my relatives have been there.

[ponchi101]

Spanish companies, in the tourist sector. This capture shows ONLY the hotels run by Melia, which is a huge Spanish hotels company:

Screenshot 2021-07-14 160046.jpg

17 hotels in total in the island.

[Suliso]

Taking full advantage of the common language. I imagine Spanish companies are fairly active in Latin America as well. The "mother country" still by far the wealthiest Spanish speaking country.

[ponchi101]

Spain maintains a lot of companies here in L. America. Movistar, a spanish cell phone company, is only second to CLARO, which is Mexican. Banks such as BBVA and Santander have offices all over. It goes on and on.
The point being made was about Cuba's claim that all their political maladies are due to the American embargo. Which, as jazzNu said, is total BS.

[JazzNU]

Spain maintains a lot of companies here in L. America. Movistar, a spanish cell phone company, is only second to CLARO, which is Mexican. Banks such as BBVA and Santander have offices all over. It goes on and on.
The point being made was about Cuba's claim that all their political maladies are due to the American embargo. Which, as jazzNu said, is total BS.

Also, this mythical idea that ending the embargo would magically make life wonderful in Cuba especially economically. The way it gets written it's as if there's next to no international trade in Cuba, so if the embargo is lifted, voila, the world is their oyster. A lot is available now so it seems like a recipe for disaster to me to frame this as if the embargo would substantially change life in Cuba. I'm not saying it couldn't or wouldn't be better without the embargo, but more detailed and objective coverage of how things actually are and what is available now would be good so that hopes aren't set sky high. If you have seen Cuban Americans on social media, it would appear to me they think lifting the embargo would lead to things that are already available to them through their other trade partners and given the one-sided "journalism" I keep seeing, I'm not surprised that many may not be clear on the realities of Cuba's current trade market.

I didn't know the South American investments were as high as they are in Cuba so I appreciate that info. I knew about EU visitors making up a sizable portion of their tourism. And I know companies like Nestle have greatly benefited from not having to compete with a Hershey and that is repeated across many industries.