MARADONA Magic Creates An ARGENTINA in Our Heart as Only FOOTBALL Resists AMERICANISM !

[PalashKL]

MARADONA Magic Creates An ARGENTINA in Our Heart as Only FOOTBALL
Resists AMERICANISM !


Troubled Galaxy Destroyed Dreams: Chapter 119

Palash Biswas

Kolkata is speaking the language of the ‘God’ of football.

The Spanish term for saying welcome is painted all across the City,
which swelled in enthusiasm to receive one of most admired deities in
the sport’s pantheon Diego Maradona.

Diego Armando Maradona Born on October 30, 1960 in the poor slums of
Villa Fiorito in the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Diego grew up with
soccer. Diego Armando Maradona has been the greatest football player
ever!

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit - his first to West Bengal
after the Mumbai terror strikes - receded to the background on
popularity count, as Kolkatans gave a rousing welcome to "God of
football" Diego Maradona during his two-day visit on Saturday.Singh's
visit to Santiniketan and Malda, that coincides with that of the
Argentinian soccer legend, has failed to evoke much popular curiosity,
with the denizens making a mad scramble for entry passes to the series
of programmes Maradona is scheduled to attend. Maradona, the most high-
profile non-political visitor to the country after last week's terror
attacks stunned the nation, arrived in the city of Joy in the wee
hours Saturday! Maradona’s visit had to be a nostalgic journey down
the memory lane. From Lev Yashin to Pele to Maradona to Oliver Kahn,
Kolkata has played host to soccer legends, which includes Bobby Moore,
Eusebio, Gerd Muller, Rummiegie, Zico and Carlos Alberto. Over 100,000
people gave a rousing farewell to Kahn at the Salt Lake Stadium a few
months back. Over 80,000 people attended Pele’s match at the Eden
Gardens in the monsoon of 1977 and Yashin treated the Kolkatans to his
immaculate saving skills some 50 years ago at the Rabindra Sarobar
Stadium.

The organisers, led by Sports Minister Subhas Chakraborty, have
already ordered a fibre-glass vehicle so thousands of football lovers,
who will gather on both sides of the road can get to see Maradona, the
soccer maestro, on his way to the hotel from the airport,.


Only FOOTBALL resists Americanism! See all over Latin America and even
the AFRICA, Football remains the best GENRE to reveal People`s power
and Talent dismissing unilateral American supremacy. Thus, MARADONA
Magic created an ARGENTINA in KOLKATA, ! Overshadowed by the MUMBAI
ATTACK against Shining FREEsenSEX Five Star INDIA and the War Against
Terror and War Call against PAKISTAN, India saw a rare gesture of
Creativity and Talent touching the GRASS ROOT! MARADONA is our MAN who
could befriend FIDEL CASTRO! Who could defeat DRUGS and DEATH. WHO
COULD CALL the GENERATION NEXT to get out of DEPRESSION and
PERSONALITY Disorder, drug Addiction and RAV parties! We all know his
PASSIONATE involvement with Football. We see him anywhere where Team
Argentina plays Foot BALL. We all know his background. He is a MAN
with whom the poor, starving, displaced indigenous, aboriginal, black
untouchable and minorities all over the world could identify
themselves. He enhances the Game of Football from entertainment and
marketing, from skill and talent, from individual sparks and team
game, to the highest level of Humanity where we may create the
Strongest Ever Stage of Resistance against MANUSMRITI as well as
APARTHEID, Fascism as well as Imperialism!

It is football that overlaps Corporate Imperialism!

It is just for the shake of MARADONA and FOOTBALL that Kolkata
remained in Kolkata. No Politics. No Economics! No War. No Civil War.
No Terror. It was PURE Kolkata which was always meant for MARADONA and
Football!Soccer superstar Diego Maradona said on Saturday he was
greatly touched by the frenzy over his brief visit and promised to
come back to India. Diego Maradona accepts his fans' adulation at
Maheshtala in West Bengal.
But infighting within Left Front and the ruling party CPIM is also
EXPOSED as though Maradona is scheduled to meet former chief minister
Jyoti Basu mentor to both the chief minister and Subhas Chakraborty no
meeting has been scheduled between Maradona and Bhattacharjee. In
fact, the CM will leave for Bagdogra to address a public meeting on
the day Kolkata swayed to the Maradona magic!Maradona is also slated
to visit the global headquarters of Mother Teresa's Missionaries of
Charity order on Sunday during his two-day trip.
Personally, I always supported BRAZIL.I had also a fan of PELE. Pele
is also a LEGEND. But he is limited in his Football SKILLS only. It is
never the FOTBALL only why I love MARADONA so much. I regard him as
me, MYSELF! His world and mine, are the same! His Concerns and Mine ,
are the SAME. I love him because he loves Fidel CASTRO! I love because
Past is never Past for him! i love Mradona because he is always ready
to pay the RETURN to Society and Humanity. Thus, he could speak so
passionately on Terrorism as well as Indian Football. I love because
he Loves his PEOPLE, the POOR Starving People worldwide. He is not a
man associated with Globalisation, Liberalisation or Privatisation! HE
has not learnt English. English and UNITED STATES of AMERICA are
irrelevant for our MARADONA! he speaks Spanish. but he has the
capacity to touch the heart of the Millions who never learnt spanish!
Indian Prime Minister was in Shantiniketan. He also landed in DUMDUM
AIR PORT! But no one was waiting for the US SUPER SLAVE. Even TV
Channels overlooked the Indian Prime Minister!Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh on Saturday announced Rs 95 crore grant for the development of
Visva Bharati as a centre of excellence and the restoration of its pre-
eminence nationally and internationally.
How United states of America has taken over Indian subcontinent, it
is well expressed by the WAR CRY against Pakistan from the Ruling
Affluent Class and Indian Media. Prabhash Joshi has rightly criticised
the Blind Nationalism covered and packed with Americanism in his
recent article in DAINIK JANSATTA!

The chaos which nearly threatened to upset Diego Maradona's
felicitation programme at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan left India
captain Baichung Bhutia disappointed.
Bhutia, who led the External Affairs XI side against the Chief
Ministers XI in an exhibition match, was thrilled to have come close
to the legend, was however, unhappy with the way things were handled
by the organisers, the state government and the celebrity management
company.

"Things could have been better handled. There were too many people
around with the cops and media getting into the way of things. That
Maradona will be visiting Kolkata was known before hand, but the
organisation left a lot to be desired," said the India and Mohun Bagan
skipper told PTI.

However, the Sikkimese snipper was thrilled with the experience.

"It was great to come close to the legend. There was a lot of
excitement and it was nice that such a legend visited the city."
Bhutia's team won the match 1-0, courtesy an own goal. Maradona is
scheduled to visit Mohun Bagan club tomorrow for a clinic with
under-12 boys of the club but Bhutia said he won't be there.

"I know a lot of players would be going but I am not going there," he
said.

Dream TV date as Maradona interviews his hero Castro



« Previous « PreviousNext » Next »View GalleryPublished Date: 29
October 2005
By RHIANNON EDWARD
JOINING his friend Fidel Castro on Cuban television, Argentine
football legend Diego Maradona said he had interviewed the communist
leader for his own popular programme.
Maradona said the interview would air on Monday on his show La Noche
del 10 - Spanish for "The Night of 10", an allusion to the star's
shirt number.

Maradona - much slimmer than on previous stays in Cuba after having
his stomach stapled - said interviewing Castro was his dream since
before he joined Argentina's Canal 13.

He considered the Cuban president "the greatest of all who decide
things in the world."

The men have known each other for more than a decade, and Maradona has
received treatment for drug addiction during several stays in Cuba. He
bears a tattoo of Castro's face on one leg.

Maradona promised he would be at the front of a march protesting
against US president George Bush in Argentina next week.

"I promised the Comandante I would do it and I will," Maradona said,
referring to Castro

http://news.scotsman.com/maradona/Dream-TV-date-as-Maradona.2673592.jp
Maradona the Original
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=3tCoMtPuL3Q

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Diego Maradona came, saw and conquered a city that poured out in
multitudes to see and honour him. Thousands of soccer-crazy fans
thronged Maheshtala, in the southern fringes of the city, to watch the
Argentinian legend lay the foundation stone of the Indian Football
School. The 48-year-old newly appointed coach of Argentina was
accompanied by his girlfiend Veronica.

Clad in denims, Maradona seemed in high spirits, as he clapped, threw
flying kisses and waved at the crowd, who waited anxiously for 40
minutes as the soccer great was late in leaving the hotel for the
venue.

He was flown in from the hotel in a chopper to a helipad a few
kilometeres from the venue at Batanagar and then was carried in a
specially designed bus, with large fibre-glass windows, to enable
people to gave a glimpse of their “god” and for Maradona to see this
packed and pulsating city which he is visiting for the first time.

Maradona spent 30 minutes at the complex, which houses the academy.
The complex is also named after Maradona.

One hundred children displayed ball juggling skills and sang songs to
welcome the football genius, who passionately reached out to his fans
by coming down the dais and shaking hands with some of them.

“If football is religion, then you are its God,” the band sang in
praise of him.

Seeming to enjoy every minute of the festive spirit, Maradona unveiled
the foundation stone with a press of a button and then touched it,
much to the joy of the large number of lensmen.

“Best wishes. India is far off from my country. But I had no idea I
have so many fans here,” Maradona said in a brief speech towards the
end of the programme.

“I had no idea that such beautiful football is played here, people
love football so much. Long live India,” said Maradona, as the crowd
lapped up every word of the man who led his nation to World Cup glory
in 1986.

Maradona was showered with gifts — small silver replica of the Taj
Mahal, a sketch of his idol Che Guevara were among the presents handed
over to him. Teenage artist Rajasrhee Chatterjee presented him Che’s
potrait and a joyous Maradona embraced the young boy.

“I come from a country which is close to Fidel Castro and Che
Guevara,” said Maradona, famous for his ‘Hand of the God’ goal against
England in the 1986 World Cup.

He also gave an imprint of his famous left foot, which will be
preserved. He kicked a ball, and mingled with the crowd for a few
minutes before leaving the venue.

Maradona’s presence left the crowd in awe.

“This was a lifetime opportuntiy for me to see Maradona. He is the
world’s best footballer,” Shankar Maitro, a local, said.

A septuagenarian who came with his grandson to have a glipmse of the
footballer, said: “I used to play football but left it long back in
1960, the year this little genius was born. I wanted to see him once
in my life. I am happy that my wish is fulfilled today,” he said.

An estimated 30,000 people thronged the airport at 1.15 a.m. to
receive Maradona who appeared quite nonplussed yet pleased by the
rousing midnight welcome.

Maradona to Interview Fidel Castro on TVThe former soccer star is back
on track By Simona Gherman, Entertainment Editor

27th of October 2005, 13:40 GMT

Adjust text size:



In his new career as a TV showman, former football player Diego
Armando Maradona seems to have obtained a great achievement.
He is to interview the Cuban President Fidel Castro on one edition of
his weekly show at the Argentine television.

Maradona had lived for four years at a health retreat in Havana,
fighting with his cocaine addiction.
The man who was once the captain of Argentina's team (in 1986),
leading it to winning the World Cup, is finally back on track. In
March this year, he underwent an operation in Colombia to staple his
stomach and reduce his weight.
So, Maradona now "[...] looks like a young boy, he is so thin",
according to an employee from the health retreat in Havana.

Maradona considers Castro a friend, calling him a father figure who
helped him kick drugs. So the interview has all the premises to be a
warm and revealing one.

The first guest of the show was Pele, on August 15, opening the "La
Noche del 10". The name, "The Night of the Number 10", is a reference
to Maradona's shirt number on Argentina's national team.
Pele, who is considered the greatest soccer player of all time, also
wore the number 10 shirt.

Maradona is planning to invite other famous people in his show, such
as soccer players Zidane and Ronaldo, as well as basketballer Michael
Jordan and golfer Tiger Woods.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Maradona-To-Interview-Fidel-Castro-On-TV-11164.shtml

The week that was: Terror strikes
(02:24) Report
Dec. 5 - Here is a wrap of this week's top news stories, including:

Terror strikes in Mumbai claim over 170 lives.
Condoleezza Rice rushes to India and Pakistan.
Markets react to terror.
England's cricket tour to resume.
Madhu Soman reports.
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For Maradona, two persons who have influenced most in his life was the
1986 World Cup winning coach Carlos Bilardo and the former Cuban
president Fidel Castro. Communist Bengal is happy. Football legend
Diego Maradona, on a two-day visit to Kolkata, did not mince words
while pointing out US follies. He said American President George Bush
was somewhat of an assassin and he appreciated the change in the US
leadership. He said he had great respect for Barack Obama and expected
big things from him.


"Both have contributed a lot in my life. Carlos was with me in my bad
times. Even Fidel Castro also contributed a lot in my life. I have
shared a lot of cigars with Castro, we have talked about a lot, on
everything, politics and football."


Cuba has said it will watch "practical actions" by the incoming U.S.
administration of Barack Obama before reconciliation talks could
begin, EFE reported on Saturday.

"We can't say anything yet, practical actions must be seen by the
Obama administration after it takes office on Jan 20," Felipe Perez
Roque told reporters when questioned about Havana's future
relationship with Washington.

Roque's statement came in the wake of remarks by Cuban leader Fidel
Castro in a signed article published Friday that Cuba is ready to open
transparent and sincere negotiations with the U.S.

"We're not attacking the United States, we're not the ones carrying
out a blockade, it's the United States who should take the decisions
to rectify the current situation," Roque said, referring to
Washington's 46-year-old economic embargo on the Caribbean island
nation.

"We hope, and we're ready, to normalise relations one day, we've
always said so, between the United States and Cuba on the basis of
respect for our rights as a people," Perez Roque.

When asked about Obama saying he was in favour of eliminating the
additional restrictions the Bush administration imposed on travel and
remittances to Cuba, the foreign minister said that "if he does so, it
will be a first positive step."

"Our people have the right to hope that, at last, our right to choose
our own way will be respected, and that they will eliminate all the
restrictions and aggressions they have made us suffer for five decades
and that have cost our country more than $90 billion," he said.

In a signed article posted on the Cubadebate website former president
Fidel Castro has said the communist government of the island can open
talks with U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, but the "carrot and
stick approach" will not work.
Maradona, known for his left leanings, also touched upon terrorism,
his close relationship with Fidel Castro, his regrets in life, current
breed of Argentinean footballers, world football leagues and India's
chances in world football during an interaction with the media here.


Maradona said he had heard a lot about India and Kolkata in particular
and when he received this invitation he was eager to accept as he had
keen interest in visiting the Missionaries of Charity headquarters,
Mother House, in Kolkata and see first hand the work of done by Mother
Teresa.


The football great himself has heroes of his own. Aside from Mother
Teresa, Maradona made special mention of Cuban Communist leader Fidel
Castro. He said he had shared a lot of Havana cigars with Fidel Castro
and discussed everything from football to politics with him. The
Argentina coach also said both Fidel Castro and Carlos Billardo were
important in his life as both of them had supported him during his bad
time in life. He said his lament was that he had been unable to spend
quality time with his two daughters. Maradona said he hoped to make up
for it in future.


On the game itself, the football legend said the Spanish football
league was the best in the world because a lot of talent came on
display and there was always tremendous competition during the
matches.


Conscious that India had recently been the target of a major terror
attack, Maradona made it a point to respond on terrorism. The great
footballer said taking of innocent lives was barbaric. He said the
common people are helpless against this kind of barbarism which needed
to be condemned.


Commenting on Indian football, Maradona said footballers needed lot of
attention, love and infrastructure to develop into star players. He
said Indian football still had a long way to go. Maradona said he
wished success to Indian footballers from the bottom of his heart.


Maradona said he was here to serve the sport so in that way if people
call him God of football then he can be so. "God is only one in this
world. They considered me as the God. But God is in this world to help
others. I am here to help football. I am not God. But, maybe I am the
God of football," said the Argentine legend.

Maradona, however, regretted for not having spent more time with his
two daughters Dalma Nerea and Giannina Dinorah. "I have a lot to
lament in my life. I could not spend much time with my two daughters.
I had a very bad time in my life for which I could not dedicate much
time to them. That is one thing I will always regret. But I think
there are times I can recover for which I could not do much."

He said to become happy one has to lead a good personal life and the
greatest happiness is the company of one's children.

"To stay healthy you have to be happy. Better to be calm to stay
healthy. The greatest happiness when you wake up in the morning is to
see your daughters. That is the greatest joy. It's the piece of mind
that makes somebody healthy," he said.


"I thought there were no more surprises left in life but my visit to
Kolkata has changed that," Maradona told a news conference after
arriving in the eastern city, India's soccer hub, for a two-day visit.

"I didn't know people loved soccer so much in this part of the world,"
added Maradona through an interpreter, after organisers took his
footprint for a soccer archive.

Maradona, who led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup triumph and took
charge as national coach last month, told the news conference he was
confident his team would shine in the 2010 finals in South Africa.

"We have a great team which has all the quality to be successful in
the next World Cup. Argentina can be one of the best four teams," he
said.

Diego Maradona refused to be drawn into any debate over who is the
greatest, Pele or himself, with the Argentine jocularly saying that
he's the best ever as his mother Armando used to think the same way.

In fact, not so long ago, former German captain Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
during his visit to city had also said that Maradona was better than
the Brazilian legend Pele.

Asked what he thinks about the comparison, the 48-year-old said, "It's
his (Rummenigge's) personal view. But my mother considered me to be
the greatest footballer in the world and I think if my mother
considers it then surely I am the greatest footballer in the world."

India has not quite got over the TRAUMA of MUMBAI CARNAGE!Amid strains
in bilateral ties following the Mumbai attacks, Pakistan has expressed
its readiness to work closely with India to "expose the hidden hands"
behind the strikes and said it did not want terrorists to derail the
peace process. A top security analyst has warned against the
appointment of a Kashmir-specific envoy by the incoming Obama-led
administration, saying it would undermine the great potential in the
US-India relationship.


International terror network al-Qaeda would target certain
installations in tourist hotspot Goa, warns a Goa cabinet note
circulated to ministers in Panaji. This is the first time that Goa
government has admitted that the state was on the al-Qaeda radar,
something it had been publicly denying so far.

"Today, Goa faces serious threat from terrorists and there were
specific inputs that al-Qaeda would target certain installations in
Goa. Goa has a coastline of 105 km, major sea ports and beaches," the
cabinet note signed by Chief Secretary J P Singh reads.

Unwilling to formally point the finger at who was responsible for the
Mumbai terror attacks, the Bush administration has said it will let
the intelligence experts talk about any "linkages".
".... I will let the assessments about what took place just last week
in terms of the terrorist attack in Mumbai -- I'll let the experts in
the intelligence community talk about those linkages," Deputy White
House Press Secretary Scott Stanzel said.

"We want to see cooperation by all the parties involved to make sure
that we understand what happened last week," Stanzel said adding US
intelligence agency was working with its partners in India and
Pakistan to let the investigation go properly.

"It is important to understand everything that occurred, and to
investigate fully what happened," he said.

" ... the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen,
as well as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have been traveling in
the region to express our solidarity with the people of India who have
been victims of this attack," he added.

In an effort to expedite measures to gear up security and intelligence
systems, Home Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday held a series of
meetings with top government officials, including National Security
Adviser M K Narayanan and Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrashekhar.

Chidambaram, who visited Mumbai yesterday, discussed with the
officials various aspects related to security and ways to fine tune it
so that recurrence of terror attacks is prevented.

Steps to make the intelligence system effective were also discussed
during the meetings which were attended by Home Secretary Madhukar
Gupta, Law Secretary T K Vishwanathan, Special Secretary (Internal
Security) Raman Srivastava, IB chief P C Haldar besides Narayanan and
Chandrashekhar.

The meetings are understood to have discussed issues related to the
proposed Federal Investigative Agency and tightening laws to deal with
terrorism effectively.

With Parliament slated resume its session on December 10, Bills in
this regard could be introduced.

A Bill to amend the CISF Act to bring private installations under the
purview of the central force is also under consideration of the
government.

Less than a week after taking over as the Home Minister, Chidambaram
yesterday admitted to failure of intelligence and security systems
leading to the Mumbai attacks and promised to take urgent steps to
correct the situation.

Almost all the senior officials of the Home Ministry were in office
today, despite Saturday being a holiday, on the directions of the new
Home Minister, who has made clear the urgency with he wants to correct
the security machinery.

The NSA also held a separate meeting with the Cabinet Secretary, the
Home Secretary, and heads of IB and RAW. Top brass of the three
services were also present in the meeting, sources said.


Maradonna - Life is Life
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ2976_rR_s
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Argentina and India, both the countries, where from Maradona comes
from and the country we live in, have been made to share the US
Destiny in War and Peace thanks to Globalisation and the Galxy Order
of PHoenix claiming the lives of Millions daily! For his two-day tour
of Kolkata, Diego Maradona is going to be given Rs 5.30 crores ($ 1.6
million), which, according to sources close to the organisers of a so-
called grand felicitation, is "peanuts" compared with his customary
takings on such occasions. This, of course, does not alter the fact
that India happens to be a country where young footballers consider a
post-match diet of bread-with-alurdam a sumptuous fare which their
clubs cannot afford always. Though the organisers have not got as many
sponsors as they expected, the project's expenses are "more or less"
taken care of, said the sources, insisting on anonymity as they were
not authorised to speak. If Mr Subhas Chakraborty is the Godfather of
those stitching the show up, ahead of Maradona's arrival, the
deplorable condition of city's transport infrastructure was once again
exposed as a special bus, made by Calcutta State Transport
Corporation, that was to have taken Maradona to his hotel from the
airport, had to be discarded.

Less than a month after taking over billions of dollars in private
pension funds, the Argentine government said it would use some of the
nationalized assets to help farmers and industry weather the global
economic downturn afflicting one of Latin America’s most vulnerable
economies.

The government on Thursday announced a $3.8 billion stimulus package
that will grant low-cost loans to farmers, automakers and other
exporters, who have struggled as the slowing world economy has trimmed
demand.

The move is the latest attempt by the government of President Cristina
Fernández de Kirchner to restore flagging confidence in her handling
of the economy.

Argentina has a history of creating its own economic crises, and
Argentines are skeptical when its leaders try to blame others, as Mrs.
Kirchner did again in a speech on Thursday.

“Perhaps we Argentines are going to have to suffer a part of this
tragedy,” she said, addressing banking, automotive and industrial
leaders.

Business leaders and analysts reacted cautiously to the new stimulus
package, saying that it was a step in the right direction but that
bolder moves would be needed to head off a major devaluation of
currency or a default in the country, which economists have said could
happen by 2010.

“These measures are really poorly designed and ineffectual,” said
Daniel Kerner, an analyst with Eurasia Group, a risk consulting firm.
“Unless you really solve the issue of lack of confidence in policy and
in the government, almost nothing is going to be effective. This is
like giving aspirin to a person that has cancer.”

Foreign investment has slowed severely, and Argentines continue to
pull their money out of the banking system at a rapid clip, which has
conjured memories of the country’s crippling 2001 loan default and
2002 currency devaluation. In October, $4 billion left the banking
system, and Mr. Kerner said the total for 2008 would top $25 billion.

Economists have criticized Argentina for reacting more slowly than
neighboring Chile and Brazil in trying to contain the fallout from the
global economic crisis.

Argentina faces a more complex domestic political situation than its
neighbors. A prolonged battle with farmers over proposed export taxes,
which ended in defeat for Mrs. Kirchner in July, led to a sharp fall
in her approval rating. Recent moves to nationalize Aerolíneas
Argentinas and the pension funds have stoked concern both at home and
among foreign investors that the government is desperate to avoid an
economic crisis next year, when some $22 billion in loans and other
payments will come due.

In recent days the government has announced a series of quick-fix
measures, like raising gasoline prices and lowering subsidies on
electricity usage, to save money. But also, last week the president
sent a bill to Congress that would offer tax breaks to stimulate local
investment and encourage companies to keep workers on the payroll. She
also announced a $21 billion public works program, the details of
which are still pending.

The Argentine economy grew by at least 8 percent a year from 2003 to
2007, but economists expect growth to fall to 7 percent this year and
much lower next year.

Argentines have been reluctant to give Mrs. Kirchner credit for her
efforts to steady the ship. Her approval rating has hovered around 30
percent. That contrasts with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s
president, whose approval rating was at 70 percent according to a poll
that was published this week in the newspaper Folha de São Paulo.

Mr. da Silva’s approval ratings remain high as Brazil struggles with
credit concerns and layoffs at major companies. A slowdown in Brazil,
Argentina’s biggest trading partner, would affect Argentina more than
any other economy in the region, economists said.

Most of Argentina’s $3.8 billion in loans will come from state-run
banks and from assets that the government pulled in from last month’s
takeover of the country’s 10 largest private pension funds, Mrs.
Kirchner said Thursday.

Argentine soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona is all set to conduct a
football clinic at the Mohun Bagan groundin Kolkata for under-12 boys
Dec 7 as part of his two-day trip to the city. The clinic would begin
at 3 p.m., when the sub-junior sides of the Mohun Bagan academy and
Bhowanipore Academy would play a brief match that Maradona will watch.
This will be yet another honour for the 119-year-old city outfit,
which raised nationalist spirits during the freedom struggle against
British rule by becoming the first ever Indian club to win the IFA
Shield in 1911. In May, Bagan played an exhibition match with German
giants FC Bayern Munich. Over 120,000 spectators turned up for the
game, which was the last international outing for legendary German
goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.


Latin American stocks fell Friday, tracking a recoil in world
equities on concerns the U.S. economy is sliding downhill faster than
expected.

Brazil's Ibovespa index dropped 1.1 percent to 34,740 in late trading.
The nation's currency, the real, slid to 2.6 against the dollar after
hitting a new three-year low during the previous session.

Mexico, the region's second-largest economy, watched its benchmark IPC
index fall 1.7 percent to 19,577 in midday trading. The Mexican peso
slipped, trading at 13.8 to the dollar.

Chile's IPSA dropped 1 percent to 2,279, Argentina's Merval dove 3.2
percent to 965 and Colombia's IGBC fell 1.1 percent to 7,344.

The U.S. Labor Department said employers slashed 533,000 jobs in
November, far beyond most analysts' expectations, sparking fears the
economic downturn is gathering pace. The fall was the largest since
1974.

Latin American economies rely heavily on exports to developed nations
that have descended into recessions under a global financial crisis.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan put its forces on high alert after a hoax
caller pretending to be India's foreign minister spoke to President
Asif Ali Zardari in a threatening manner on Nov. 28, two days after
the attacks on Mumbai began, ‘Dawn’ newspaper reported on Saturday.

"It's true," a diplomat with knowledge of the exchanges said when
asked whether the newspaper report was correct.

Throughout the next 24 hours Pakistan's air force was put on "highest
alert" as the military watched anxiously for any sign of Indian
aggression.

Dawn reported that the caller, posing as Indian Foreign Minister
Pranab Mukherjee, also tried to telephone U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleeza Rice, but due to specific checks by US officials the call
was not put through.

The episode triggered intense international diplomacy, with some world
leaders fearing that Indian and Pakistan could slip into an accidental
war, the newspaper said sourcing its report to unnamed diplomatic,
political and security officials.


US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has told Pakistan that there is
‘irrefutable evidence’ of involvement of elements in this country in
the Mumbai terror attacks and it had no option but to act urgently and
effectively to avert a strong international response.
Rice ‘pushed’ the Pakistani leaders to move against the perpetrators
of the terror strikes warning that ‘otherwise, the US will act,’ the
'Dawn' reported on Saturday.

The clear message was conveyed to Pakistan's top leadership by Rice
during her brief stopover in Islamabad on Thursday, diplomatic sources
said, giving credence to the report.

Rice said that there was ‘irrefutable evidence’ of the involvement of
Pakistani elements in the Mumbai attacks, the sources said.

She travelled to Pakistan after a visit to India, where she was shown
the extensive evidence gathered by investigators to prove the linkages
between the Mumbai attackers and Pakistan-based elements, especially
the banned Lashker-e-Toiba terror group, the sources said.

They said Rice, during her interactions with President Asif Ali
Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Foreign Minister Shah
Mehmood Qureshi and Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, made it clear
that Pakistan needs to act effectively to bring the perpetrators to
justice.

But it has been all over MARADONA and MARADONA since he landed in
Kolkata!

"It has been beyond my imagination," a visibly moved Maradona said
through an interpreter.

"I did not know that I had so many fans in India and people of the
country loved football so much," he said after laying the foundation
stone for a football academy on the outskirts of the city.

"India lacks the infrastructure for football but the players should
also work hard for their success."

The Indians rank a lowly 144th in world football with cricket being
the most popular sport.

Maradona, on his first-ever visit to the country, rated his 'Hand of
God' goal in the 1986 World Cup as his best moment of his life.

The Argentinean famously punched the ball into the net for the opening
goal of a 2-1 quarterfinal victory against England, leading to his
instant glory back home and villification by English fans.

Maradona, recently appointed as coach of Argentina, said he was
already looking forward to visiting India again.

"I have a contract with Argentina's national football team and once
it's over I will think of coming to India."

Star Argentine striker Lionel Messi has already earned himself enough
laurels to be in the big league of world football, but compatriot
soccer legend Diego Maradona feels the Barcelona forward has enough
time in his hand to further finetune his skills. He also hoped that
Messi will be the star attraction of 2010 World Cup in South Africa,
just like he was during the 1986 Mexico World Cup.
Maradona, who played in four consecutive World Cup, starting from 1982
to 1994, was of the view it was unfair to compare Messi with Brazilian
star Ronaldinho as the latter has already achieved many things in his
career, whereas the former has plenty of time in his side.

"Ronaldhinho has earned a lot of distinction in his life. He has
achieved many things in life, but Messi has a long way to go.

"Messi would be having a lot of time, about 10 years, to improve
himself. It's a lot of time to improve oneself. I think he will do
well in South Africa. I hope, he will be able to play like me,"
Maradona who is on a two-day visit to the city told reporters on
Saturday.

Maradona, 48, arrived in this football-mad eastern Indian city early
on Saturday to a rousing welcome by some 50,000 fans, desperate to
catch a glimpse of the legend.

The fans jostled and almost ran over the barricades at the Netaji
Subhash Chandra Bose airport as the 5,000-strong security team tried
to control the surging crowd.

"Long Live India! We want you to play in the World Cup," Maradona,
flanked by his girlfriend Veronica, shouted back to the delirious
fans.


Living Soccer legend Diego Maradona on Saturday described terrorism as
barbaric and said common people shy away from protesting as they fear
for their life.Thousands of torches and lamps dispelled the darkness
of the night, as Kolkatans welcomed football legend Diego Armando
Maradona to the city in a carnival atmosphere early on Saturday.
Accompanied by girlfriend Veronica, the Argentinian soccer genius
touched down at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport
at 1.25 a.m. on a two-day trip to the city, as 50,000 people lined the
roads and uncountable more sat glued to their television sets to catch
the first glimpse of the football wizard on their home turf. The
diminutive new Argentina soccer coach, in great spirits despite the
fatigue of a 48-hour flight, was welcomed at the tarmac by West Bengal
sports minister Subhas Chakraborty and the organizers with flowers.

Suspended Congress leader Narayan Rane on Saturday hit out at his
rivals within the party, saying some Indian political leaders were
supporting external forces and financing terror activities in the
country.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan put its forces on alert when its president
received a threatening call from someone posing as Indian Minister for
External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee following last week's Mumbai
attacks, a media report said Saturday.

English cricket team is quite reluctant to visit India. Champions
Trophy was cancelled. Chinese travellers who flock tourist
destinations across the world during the Chinese New Year in January
are expected to skip India owing to the scare caused by the Mumbai
attack. US, UK, AUSSI, CANADIAN citizens are advised to avoid India.
Even the Ministry of Tourism holds back Incredible India Campaign due
to Mumbai carnage!

Doubts were cast over Maradona's visit following the recent
devastating Mumbai attacks that killed 163 people including 26
foreigners.

"It's barbaric. We can't event think of something like this in a
civilized society," Maradona said of the Mumbai carnage.


MARADONA did not cancel his Kolkata Visit. He was aware of the MUMBAI
developments. Rather he promised the KOLKATA audiences that he would
like to revisit Kolkata. No wonder that now, England's cricketers are
keen to return to India for a two-test series after their tour was
suspended following last week's attacks in Mumbai, coach Peter Moores
said on Saturday.

"Some groups are taking lives of others. I think such acts are
barbaric," Maradona told mediapersons when asked about his message
against terrorism.

"I think common people cannot protest against act of terrorism as it
is life-threatening," said the 48-year-old soccer great, who is on his
first visit to India.

"They (terrorists) shouldn't do it," Maradona said.

The Argentine soccer coach's comments came 10 days after the
devastating terrorist strike on India's commercial capital Mumbai left
172 people killed and the entire world shell-shocked.
The Kolkata police on Saturday arrested one Tausif Rehman suspected of
facilitating the November 26 Mumbai terrorists by providing SIM cards
to the operatives.


Rehman had reportedly supplied 22 SIM cards to one Mukhtar Ahmed
Sheikh -- reportedly a Kashmiri policeman who worked as an auto-
rickshaw driver in Kolkata. Sheikh has also been arrested.

According to sources, one of the SIM card supplied by Rehman was used
in the Mumbai terror attacks.

He will be produced before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in
Kolkata in a short while.

"We are questioning them about procurement of SIM (Subscriber Identity
Module) cards used in Mumbai," Jawed Shamim, the deputy commissioner
of detectives in Kolkata, told a news agency.

If the men are proved to be involved, it would be further evidence of
Indian complicity in the three-day rampage New Delhi has blamed on
Pakistan.

In February police arrested Fahim Ansari, who was carrying maps of
Mumbai that highlighted several of the targets later hit in the
attack.

At least 217 people were killed in the attacks last week in which 10
gunmen struck two luxury hotels and other landmarks across India's
financial capital.

Airports in New Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai remained on high alert
for a fourth day on Saturday, with extra security personnel deployed
after the civil aviation authority said it had received intelligence
that attacks could be planned.

Meanwhile,Buoyed by easing inflation, the RBI on Saturday announced
further measures, including a one percentage point cut in the short
term rates at which it lends and borrows from banks, in a clear signal
to ease interest rates. Besides, the apex bank also pumped in Rs
11,000 crore in Small Industries Development Bank of India and
National Housing Bank to give a fillip to realty and small and medium
sectors. The short-term lending rate (repo) will fall to 6.5 per cent
and borrowing (reverse repo) rate to 5 per cent with effect from
December 8.Both public and private sector banks have cheered the
Reserve Bank’s cut in the repo and reverse repo by 1% each. Most banks
had not responded to earlier RBI cuts. meanwhile,AIADMK chief
Jayalalithaa on Saturday demanded an immediate rollback of the prices
of petroleum products to the level that existed in 2004, when UPA
government took over!The country's largest carrier, Jet Airways, and
its subsidiary JetLite, have reduced fuel surcharge by Rs 400 and Rs
300 per ticket, respectively, following a dip in aviation fuel prices.

It made no difference that Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and
finance minister Asim Dasgupta would not loosen the purse strings, not
even for the man with the hand of god. They flatly turned down sports
minister Subhas Chakraborty's demand for "Rs 4-5 crore" to meet the
expenses of Diego Maradona's visit. Chakraborty is reportedly upset
that even someone like Maradona was not considered important enough
for the state to ease up on the self-imposed austerity measures. His
argument that it would encourage sports in a soccer-crazy state cut no
ice.

Bhattacharjee and Dasgupta told the sports minister that the funds
could be raised through sponsorship.


According to a sports department official: "We were told that the CM
is not against it, but since a lot of funds are being raised through
sponsorship, the expenses of Maradona's visit can be covered without
dipping into the state kitty."
While the soccer legend's trip is being funded by a celebrity
management group, the sports department plans an official welcome at
the airport and a felicitation for him at Salt Lake stadium. It is
here that funds would be necessary, and the initial estimate was a
whopping Rs 13 crore. "We have tied up with several companies and the
final estimate can be done only later," said sports secretary RPS
Kahlon.
Soccer legend Diego Maradona on Saturday said he is open to helping
India develop the game once his tenure as Argentina's coach ends.
"I am now on contract as coach of Argentina. Once the contract ends I
would like to come to India and help improve the soccer infrastructure
in this country," Maradona said during a 45-minute freewheeling media
conference.
The 'God of soccer', who received a tumultuous welcome from thousands
of fans since his arrival early Saturday, said he was touched by the
affection of Kolkatans and would love to return to India.
"The affection I have received here has added to my will to return,"
he said.
The 48-year-old Maradona who in the morning laid the foundation stone
of the Indian Football School at Maheshtala, said: "We are discussing
some projects, and if these discussions are fruitful I will come
back."
Asked how India should proceed to get its own Maradona, the hero of
Argentina's 1986 World Cup victory said: "I think a lot of attention
and affection must be given to young players who are doing well. There
is lot of competition in the world and India has a lot to achieve."
Expressing his "whole-hearted" support to Indian football, he said: "I
think stress should be given on infrastructural development."
Maradona said he was moved by the love and affection showered on him
here. "I really feel very emotional. I thought I have gone through
enough experiences in this life. But after coming here I think there
are more to come."
When a scribe asked Maradona, whether he felt scared on seeing
thousands of passionate soccer buffs here, he promptly replied: "No, I
have never been scared in my life. On the contrary, I was very much
surprised and pleased to see all those waiting for me."
Maradona said one his reason to come to India was to visit the Mother
House here. "I wanted to see what Mother Teresa has done in this city.
So I want to utilise this trip to visit Mother House."
Soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona on Saturday said he was surprised
by the response of the crazy fans who thronged in thousands to have a
glimpse of him as he laid the foundation stone of a football school at
Maheshtala in South 24 Parganas district.
Blowing kisses in the air and waving to the crowd, the 48-year-old
Argentine, dressed in a grey shirt and matching trouser, said he had
not anticipated that his two-day visit would evoke such a huge
response.
"I had no idea that football enjoyed so much fan following in this
part of the world far from my home in South America," the soccer star
said.
"My country is far from here, but I never knew I have so many fans
here," he said as the crowd kept shouting 'Diego, Diego'.
The the soccer icon spoke to reporters for just two minutes in Spanish
with the help of an interpreter.
The Indian Football School is being developed by the Maheshtala
Municipality in collaboration with a private company.
Maradona, who led Argentina to World Cup triumph in 1986, had flown
into the eastern metropolis in the wee hours today to a tumultuous
welcome.
In a cheerful mood, with girl friend Veronica by his side, the legend
signed autographs for children and shook hands with fans.

From the airport, Maradona and Vernonica were put into a specially
designed bus that had transparent windows to enable the soccer buffs
have a momentary glance of the player, whose heroic performance
enabled Argentina win the World Cup in 1986.
Three major airports across the country are on high alert in view of
the heightened security threat on the 16th anniversary of the Babri
Masjid demolition on Saturday. In fact, the airports at New Delhi,
Bangalore and Chennai have been put on a hijack alert.
The alert, issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation, comes in the wake
of an e-mail received by a local Gujarati TV channel earlier this
week, warning of a hijack attempt at the above mentioned airports. The
terror mail was ascribed to Deccan Mujahiddeen.


In order to facilitate thorough security checks, passengers have been
asked to report three hours in advance.
CISF and NSG commandos have been deployed at all three airports to
handle any eventuality.
Following the mayhem created by terrorists in Mumbai and the
government’s acceptance of an intelligences failure, the authorities
are leaving no stone unturned to thwart the nefarious designs of
terrorists.
Admitting the failure of the government, Home Minister P Chidambaram
said yesterday, “There have been lapses, and these are being looked
into.”
Addressing a press conference shortly after arriving in Mumbai and
visiting all the places affected by the terror attacks last week, he
said that “some security forces” may have failed but pointed out that
hundreds more could have been killed in the city if the security
personnel had not taken on the terrorists.
“We will address the causes that led to those lapses,” he added.

It made no difference to MARADONA`s arrival!
Two more men, Tausif Rehman and Mukhtar Ahmed, have been arrested in
connection with the deadly terror attacks that rocked Mumbai killing
more than 180 people. Tausif was arrested from West Bengal, while
Mukhtar, a Jammu Kashmir police constable, was hand picked up by the
Kolkata police, according to a Times Now report. The duo were arrested
by the special task force of the Kolkata police. Both Tausif and
Mukhtar are believed to be associated with the SIM cards used by the
Mumbai terrorists.


Earlier, intelligence sources said they had intercepted conversations
between Muzammil, Muzaffarabad chief of LeT operations, and a certain
Yahya in Bangladesh.
Yahya reportedly arranged SIM cards, fake id-cards primarily from
western countries like Mauritius, UK, US, Australia. A Mauritian
identity card was found on one of the terrorists shot down.
it did not cahnge maradona`s MOOD!
Lalgarh Insurrection continues. The STANDOFF was sidelined as Maradona
happens to be in Kolkata. The Marxists and Brahmins Ruling Bengal know
well the Grass ROOT level impact of Maradona Charishma. The arranged
the Maradona Show and captured Maradona! Even Indian Football legends
like PK Bannerjee, CHUNI Goswami, Arun GHOSH and Current Foot Ball
Star Baichung Bhutia were sidelined. The State Finance Minister ashim
dasgupta was sitting beside Varonika. Somnath Chatterjee, Pranab
Mukherjee and subhash Chakrabarti made the circle while KOLKATA Mayor
Bikash Ranjan could not interact with Maradona.Kolkata`s Number One
Icon Saurabh ganguli was not invited at all. We know well that no one
is going to pronounce SINGUR, NANDIGRAM or lalgarh before MARADONA. He
is known to be unpredicatable. Any comment Maradona
could spoil the show!
But the fact remains as The Lalgargh crisis deepened on Wednesday when
Maoist-led tribals kidnapped two top West Midnapore district officials
and held them hostage in forests, just 5 km from Jhargram town. This
comes only a day after the Left Front won the Jhargram municipal
polls. The tribals arm-twisted the administration into freeing four
agitators detained by police earlier in the day before they released
the officials in exchange.
The stand-off began in the afternoon after police rounded up four
Adivasis trying to block the state highway at Kalabani, between
Lodhasuli and Jhargram. In retaliation, members of the Maoist-led
Committee Against Police Atrocities started felling trees to block the
highway. When SDO Tanmoy Chakrabarty and SDPO Arnab Biswas reached the
spot, under written instructions from district magistrate N S Nigam to
clear the blockade, some agitators provoked them to the wayside where
they found themselves surrounded by men with bows and arrows.
A huge police force was sent to Kalabani in the evening to rescue the
two officers, but they decided not to provoke a confrontation with the
armed tribals. It was after additional DM (general) Raja Aron Israel
intervened that the hostages were released in exchange for the four
detained Adivasis.
The incident is enough indication of the simmering tension in
Jangalkhand. Soon after winning the tribal wards in Jhargram town, the
local CPM became proactive, leading to a confrontation between Left-
backed traders and the motorbike brigade of the Chhatra Kurmi Sangram
Committee that was trying to enforce its bandh call in the morning.
Traders bashed up some bandh supporters. Emboldened, the
administration decided to take on the tribals in their jungle turf,
only to land in the Maoist trap.
The move boomeranged because it is the tribals who got what they
wanted. The message has reached far-flung hamlets in Jangalkhand.
Upbeat with the "victory", the Committee against Police Atrocities has
called a meeting in Narcha village near Lalgarh on Thursday,
spokesperson Chhatradhar Mahato said, hinting that they would step up
the ante against the government after the meeting.
The situation might reach a flashpoint any day, but it's a situation
that chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is desperately trying to
avoid. The tension is palpable, as the CPM's youth wing DYFI is
organizing a public gathering at Chandrakona in West Midnapore. CPM
minister Susanta Ghosh, who is on the Maoist hit-list, will address
the meeting.
Annoyed with Wednesday's fracas, the CM wants to go slow on the
Lalgarh front. He is sympathetic to the Adivasi cause. "The situation
in Lalgarh is serious. Most of the tribals are innocent. A few are
masterminding the trouble but what will they gain by felling trees and
digging up roads?" Bhattacharjee said on Wednesday.
Prodded by the CM, state home secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti met the
district magistrates of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia to chalk
out ways to improve the living conditions in Jangalkhand.
To pacify the tribals, the government plans to lay out a huge bounty
in the form of employment, scholarships, hostel repairs, hostel
scholarships, pension for the aged and other development projects like
drinking water.
It was decided that apart from the various schemes on at the moment, a
token amount from the CM's relief fund would be released for use in
the area, possibly for drinking water facilities. Ways to utilize more
funds were discussed and more funds will be released, sources said.
The home secretary has already directed backward classes welfare
secretary R D Meena to conduct an inquiry into the complaints of
torture in Lalgarh.

People, wearing Argentine jerseys and carrying Maradona's cutouts and
posters welcoming him in multiple languages - English, Hindi, Bengali
and Spanish - ran alongside the bus, as it hit the streets on the way
to the hotel.
Maradona fans waved flags of India and Argentina and danced to the
tune of foot-tapping Latin American music, besides raising slogans
eulogising the football legend who would spend the next two days in
the city laying the foundation stone of a soccer academy, visiting
Mother House - the global headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity
- and attending a charity dinner.
The unbridled enthusiasm of the soccer aficionados proved infectious,
and Maradona rose from his seat in the bus to wave back at the crowd,
as two thousand people held aloft lighted torches on both sides of the
road.
Giving more Indian traditional touches to the welcome, there were
saree-clad women with well-lit earthen lamps and those blowing conch
shells to usher in the prince of football, who rose from a shanty town
- Villa Fiorito - on the southern outskirts of Buenos Aires to reach
the zenith of fame and fortune.
Passions ran high in Kolkata, cricket crazy India's soccer crazy hub,
as old infirm men waited side by side with children not yet in their
teens, able bodied youths and housewives for Maradona.
"I have been waiting for more than an hour.. I am a great fan of
Maradona," said housewife Ratna Sen, who had travelled 25 kms to be a
part of the occasion.
Colourful processions also came from various districts, and blue-white
balloons resembling the colours of the Argentina jersey were released.
"Maradona is a phenomenon. This is a momentous occasion. It's the raw
passion for soccer which has brought so many people on the roads,"
said former India international footballer and Arjuna awardee Prasun
Banerjee, waiting on a city street.
More than 5000 policemen, including the Rapid Action Force and crack
commandos were deployed on the entire route of Maradona's convoy to
prevent any breach of peace.
A couple of over-enthusiastic teenagers were seen climbing lamp posts
near the airports to hoist Argentine flags, forcing the security
personnel to step in and bring them down.

Press Information Bureau
Government of India
******
PM ADDRESSES THE ANNUAL CONVOCATION OF VISVA BHARATI UNIVERSITY

Made in the epic style of films like LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, CHE was shot
in two parts that will be presented together during an exclusive week-
long engagement in New York and LA beginning on December 12th. This
"Special Roadshow Edition,” complete with a program guide and
intermission, will be a unique opportunity to see the film in its
entirety. Directed by Academy Award winning filmmaker Steven
Soderbergh (TRAFFIC, ERIN BROKOVICH), this incredible story of
revolution is particularly astonishing when watched from start to
finish. It will also be released as two separate films nationwide on
January 9th: CHE PART ONE and CHE PART TWO.
Producer Laura Bickford described the rigorous research that went into
making this film as an enormous living history project. The filmmakers
spent many years interviewing people from every side of the story and
all of those first-hand accounts have been faithfully incorporated
into the movie.

Here is a link to the trailer: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808403435/video/10924831
You can find out more information about the movie on the IFC
Entertainment website: http://www.ifcfilms.com/viewFilm.htm?filmId=1236
CHE - SPECIAL ROADSHOW EDITION SCREENINGS - DECEMBER 12TH-18TH 2008:
THE ZIEGFELD THEATER - NY
Address: 141 West 54th Street , New York , NY 10019
Showtimes: 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM daily
**Steven Soderbergh will do a Q&A after the 7:00 PM show opening day -
12/12.
***For group sales of 25 people or more please contact our Special
Events Department at (908) 918-2001.
THE LANDMARK THEATER - LA
Address: 10850 West Pico at Westwood Blvd. , Los Angeles , CA 90064
Showtimes: 1:30 PM and 7:30 PM daily
**Benicio Del Toro & Laura Bickford will do a Q&A after the 1:30 PM
and 7:30 PM show Saturday - 12/13.

Fidel Castro says Cuba could talk with Obama
Fri Dec 5, 2008
By Patrick Markey
HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba's former leader Fidel Castro said on Thursday
his country could talk to U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, in
Havana's latest overture to the incoming Democratic administration in
Washington.
His remarks followed comments from his brother, President Raul Castro,
who told a U.S. magazine he could meet Obama in a "neutral place" to
try to end the Communist-run island's four-decade conflict with the
United States.
"With Obama, talks could happen anywhere he wants," Fidel Castro,
America's longtime Cold War enemy, wrote in the latest of a series of
columns he has published in state-run media since falling ill in 2006.
"He should remember the carrot-and-stick approach will not work with
our country," Castro wrote of Obama. "The sovereign rights of the
Cuban people are not negotiable."
Fidel Castro, who took power nearly 50 years ago after an armed
revolution, has not been seen in public since undergoing surgery for
an undisclosed illness in July 2006. But he has met several state
leaders and appeared in photographs.
Obama, who takes office on January 20, has raised hopes of improved
U.S.-Cuba ties by saying he was open to talks with the Cuban
government and has favored easing some U.S. sanctions.
He has said he will reverse the U.S. administration's policies
restricting Cuban Americans from visiting Cuba and sending cash to
their families. He is willing to talk to Castro but would keep the
four-decade-old U.S. trade embargo as leverage to influence changes in
the one-party state.
Raul Castro formally took over the Cuban presidency in February and
has said several times Havana is willing to talk to the United States.
Before the U.S. presidential election last month, Fidel Castro praised
Obama as intelligent and humanitarian in the columns that have become
his main form of communication.
Raul suggested in the interview he could meet Obama in Guantanamo Bay,
where the United States maintains a naval base, which Cuba considers a
violation of its sovereignty.
(Reporting by Patrick Markey; editing by Todd Eastham)
Cuba's economy tops 4pc growth
The Australian, Australia - December 5

Agence France-Presse

CUBA'S economic growth topped more than 4 per cent in 2008, despite a
year of crises for the island.
“The Cuban economy grew by just over four per cent in 2008,” said
Finance Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez, quoted by the official AIN news
agency.

Mr Rodriguez, who also serves as Cuba's vice-president, stressed that
2008 will “go down in history as a difficult year for Cuba.”

The island felt the effects of the global financial crisis, the
ongoing US trade embargo and the trauma of the island's devastating
hurricane season, he said.

The period, he added, tested the country's resilience, “the
flexibility of its economy and its ability to redirect central
planning efforts to deal with phenomena that are not in our control”.

Mr Rodriguez emphasised that in addition to the hurricane season that
cost the island some $US10 billion ($15.4 billion) in damages, Cuba
had been severely affected by the 53 per cent increase in fuel prices,
and the rising cost of imported food.

All told, he said, the 2008 fuel and food price increases “will cost
more than $US800 million”.

The Communist nation, which has laboured under a US trade embargo for
almost half a century, also faced the effects of the “global crisis in
the capitalist economy,” he added.

The turmoil has impacted the island's exports, notably its nickel, Mr
Rodriguez said.

The metal's worth topped $US51,000 per tonne in May last year, and is
worth at the moment between $US9000 and $US10,000,” he said.

For the last four years, Cuba - which grew by 7.5 per cent in 2007 -
has included public spending and national subsidies in measuring its
gross domestic product, unlike the method used by the Economic
Commission for Latin America.

According to the Cuban government, the US trade embargo, in place
since 1962, has cost the island some $US93 billion.

Prioriza Cienfuegos producción y comercialización de alimentos
Listos para la zafra centrales cienfuegueros
Crece ritmo de recuperación en agricultura tabacalera cubana
Buscan en Cuba que el salario incentive cada vez más la producción


Brazil opens business center in Havana to promote trade with Cuba
Granma International - December 4

• Presidents of the two nations attend inauguration of the first APEX
commercial office in Latin America

Por Sundred Suzarte Medina

• THE establishment of a Latin American business office of the
Brazilian Exports and Investments Promotion Agency (APEX) in Havana
could open the way for the South American giant to become Cuba’s first
trading partner, highlighted Caio Cordeiro de Resende, coordinator for
this organization in Latin America and the Caribbean, during the
inauguration ceremony last October 31.

According to Cordeiro de Resende, the agreement signed by Presidents
Raúl Castro of Cuba and Luis Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil has the
fundamental objective of facilitating business exchange between the
two countries. This is the first time that APEX will be working not
just on promoting Brazilian exports to the island, but also Cuban
exports to the South American giant.

"APEX’s idea was to have a representation here in Havana because the
agency has been working hard for the last two years on exports and
imports in this country. In the past 12 months, our exports to the
island have grown by 74%. The idea of Foreign Minister Celso Amorim
and the Agency is to ensure they increase by 100%, and that Brazil
becomes Cuba’s primary trading partner. We are currently in sixth
place."

Brazil signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Department of
Administration and Evaluation of Projects at the Ministry of Inversion
and Economic Cooperation, as well as with the Cuban Exports Promotion
Center. According to the APEX representative, "thanks to these links,
we are going to work together to promote investment and exports from
Cuba to Brazil, and vice versa."

Cordeiro de Resende, who is also a regional markets project analyst,
highlighted the active participation in these agreements of Raúl de la
Nuez, Cuban minister of Foreign Trade, as well as the interest of the
Cuban Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Investment and
Economic Cooperation.

Thirty Brazilian enterprises were represented at the 26th Havana Trade
Fair of a total of 70 that intended to participate.

At the close of the third quarter of 2008, commercial exchange between
the two countries reached $482 million, representing a 56% rise in
relation to the same period last year. During President Lula da
Silva’s visit to Cuba last January, 10 agreements were signed in the
sectors of the economy, oil extraction, road construction, as well as
the renovation and extension of credits for the purchase of food
products. They also include a cooperation project for soy production
and the development of the tourism, sugar and biotechnology
industries.

Cuba inaugura moderna planta para producir vacunas con apoyo de
Brasil
Ministro defensa de Brasil recomienda a EEEUU acercarse a Cuba


Cuba consolidated as Caribbean destination
Granma International - December 4

• The island is hoping to receive in excess of 2.34 million tourists
this year

• FOR the fifth consecutive year, Cuba has already surpassed the two-
million foreign visitors mark for this year, announced the Ministry of
Tourism in a statement in which it highlighted the fact that on this
particular occasion, the important target was reached on November 14,
much earlier than in previous years.

These two million visitors have secured Cuba’s position as the
preferred Caribbean destination and this reaffirm the recognition on
the part of tourists who come to the island of its friendliness and
delights and its people, including its culture, history, healthcare
services, nature, safety, hospitality and quality.

This figure is even more relevant in a year in which the country has
been lashed by three fierce hurricanes, testing Cuba’s organizational
and response capacities in the face of such situations in order to
guarantee the safety of every individual. In a short space of time,
the island has managed to get back on its feet and reopen all the
affected tourist resorts.

Tourism in Cuba has witnessed an accumulated growth of 10.7% compared
to the same period last year, added the Ministry statement.

On celebrating the arrival of the two millionth tourist, we are also
at the start of the 2008-2009 winter season and Cuba now has more
rooms than ever available, with a greater level of comfort, guaranteed
supplies and the same friendly treatment as always.

Destination Cuba maintains the challenge of continuing to elevate its
standards of quality, prioritizing diversification of tourist options,
continuing to work on the integration of culture and tourism and
demonstrating to the world the potential of a destination that also
possesses nature and wildlife, cities noted for their heritage,
cultural and historical values and a hospitable population.

The Ministry of Tourism is confident of exceeding the figure of 2.34
million visitors by the end of 2008. (Lilliam Riera)


Recuperadas en Cuba unas 100 mil toneladas de materia prima
Granma - 4 de diciembre

Por Yamile Castro Ibarra

El rescate de cerca de 109 mil toneladas de materias primas contenidas
en los equipos electrodomésticos sustituidos en Cuba por otros más
eficientes, permitió al país ahorrar considerable cantidad de dinero.

Julio Sardiña, especialista de la Unión de Empresas de Recuperación de
Materias Primas, presente en la XIV Convención Científica de
Ingeniería y Arquitectura, dijo a la AIN que con el acero obtenido,
más de 86 mil toneladas, se ahorraron unos 45 millones de pesos
cubanos convertibles.

En aluminio y cobre se extrajeron seis mil y cuatro mil toneladas
respectivamente, agregó.

Añadió que la red nacional de organizaciones relacionadas con el
reciclaje acometió la tarea que posibilitó además recuperar 13 mil
toneladas de plástico.

La Empresa de Desmantelamiento de Buques y la Conformadora de Metales,
además de las procesadoras de Residuos Sólidos pertenecientes a las
provincias de Ciego de Ávila y Holguín, también participaron en la
misión, destacó Sardiña.

El especialista aseguró que la chatarra obtenida se emplea en la
producción de barras de acero, conductores eléctricos, utensilios de
cocina, tuberías plásticas, suelas de calzados, entre otros artículos
de vital importancia para la economía del país.

Explicó que se aprovecharon al máximo los más de cuatro millones 137
mil 380 refrigeradores, aires acondicionados, televisores y bombas de
agua repuestos hasta el momento en la Isla.

La Unión muestra sus logros relacionados con la Revolución Energética
en la cita que concluye hoy en el Palacio de Convenciones de La
Habana.


Fidel Castro says Cuba open to talks with Obama
Reuters - December 5

By Patrick Markey

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba's former leader Fidel Castro said on Thursday
his country could talk to U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, in
Havana's latest overture to the incoming Democratic administration in
Washington.

His remarks followed comments from his brother, President Raul Castro,
who told a U.S. magazine he could meet Obama in a "neutral place" to
try to end the Communist-run island's four-decade conflict with the
United States.

"With Obama, talks could happen anywhere he wants," Fidel Castro,
America's longtime Cold War enemy, wrote in the latest of a series of
columns he has published in state-run media since falling ill in 2006.

"He should remember the carrot-and-stick approach will not work with
our country," Castro wrote of Obama. "The sovereign rights of the
Cuban people are not negotiable."

Fidel Castro, who took power nearly 50 years ago after an armed
revolution, has not been seen in public since undergoing surgery for
an undisclosed illness in July 2006. But he has met several state
leaders and appeared in photographs.

Obama, who takes office on January 20, has raised hopes of improved
U.S.-Cuba ties by saying he was open to talks with the Cuban
government and has favored easing some U.S. sanctions.

He has said he will reverse the U.S. administration's policies
restricting Cuban Americans from visiting Cuba and sending cash to
their families. He is willing to talk to Castro but would keep the
four-decade-old U.S. trade embargo as leverage to influence changes in
the one-party state.

Raul Castro formally took over the Cuban presidency in February and
has said several times Havana is willing to talk to the United States.

Before the U.S. presidential election last month, Fidel Castro praised
Obama as intelligent and humanitarian in the columns that have become
his main form of communication.

Raul suggested in the interview he could meet Obama in Guantanamo Bay,
where the United States maintains a naval base, which Cuba considers a
violation of its sovereignty.

(Reporting by Patrick Markey; editing by Todd Eastham)
Navegar contra la marea - Reflexiones


Cerca de 200 cirujanas generales laboran en Cuba
Cuba Headlines - 5 de diciembre

La cifra trascendió en las sesiones del X Congreso Cubano de Cirugía,
que tiene lugar en el capitalino Palacio de Convenciones

Alrededor de 200 mujeres laboran actualmente bisturí en ristre en los
quirófanos de hospitales generales del país, se conoció en el X
Congreso Cubano de Cirugía, que junto a la Reunión Regional de la
Federación Latinoamericana de esta especialidad, sesionan en el
Palacio de Convenciones de la capital.

En esos eventos se evidenció admiración por el aporte que realiza a
esta rama de la salud pública la mujer cirujana. Un total de 74, de
las 125 de estas especialistas participantes han presentado
interesantes y documentados trabajos científicos sobre diferentes
temas.

«La cirugía siempre estuvo vinculada al sangramiento profuso, al
accidente grave, a la urgencia o a la emergencia médica, y fue
generalmente privativa del sexo masculino, como toda la Medicina en
general», explicó en la sesión de la mañana de este jueves, el doctor
y profesor José Miguel Goderich Lalán, presidente del congreso y de la
Sociedad Cubana de Cirugía.

Dijo que antes del triunfo revolucionario de 1959, apenas había
mujeres dedicadas a la cirugía general, que tal vez se contaran con
los dedos de una mano y que el hecho de que, entre los 1 300
cirujanos, existan en el país en estos momentos una cifra cercana a
las 200, era una obra exclusiva de la Revolución que cumple medio
siglo.

«Incluso la mayoría de los profesionales de la cirugía que son hoy
especialistas de segundo grado, son del sexo femenino y han puesto de
manifiesto que son bravas, audaces, inteligentes, creadoras,
responsables y puntuales en su cotidiano quehacer en los salones de
operaciones», comentó.

«No podemos decir, por ejemplo, cuáles son las tres o las cinco
mujeres cirujanas más sobresalientes de Cuba, pero sí podemos decir
que compiten con los mejores cirujanos hombres en activo hoy»,
aseguró.

La joven cirujana Cristina de la Caridad Martín Blanco, del Hospital
Provincial Docente Antonio Luaces Iraola, de Ciego de Ávila, dijo que
en todos estos años la bloqueada y asediada Cuba ha enseñado a las
mujeres a salir adelante en la inmensa mayoría de las profesiones y
tareas.

Eso no significa que los cirujanos se queden atrás. Un solo ejemplo
entre centenares: el doctor Eduardo Molina Fernández, cirujano
general, quien dirige la Sección de Hernias y pared abdominal de la
Sociedad Cubana de Cirugía, ha sido el único latino en obtener el
Premio Frudchaud, otorgado en 2001 por la Sociedad Americana de
Hernia.

(Juventud Rebelde)


Education for the Disabled Guaranteed in Cuba
Radio Cadena Agramonte - December 4

Havana, Dec 3.- Cuba celebrates December 3, the International Day of
the Disabled, with more than 400 special education schools for tens of
thousands of students with various types of disabilities.

These centers use specialized materials and technologies, such as
those used by the blind for the Braille reading-writing system and by
the staff trained as interpreters of sign language for the deaf.

Other students of these schools are the physically or motor disabled,
those with learning difficulties, and the deaf and blind, who require
teachers trained in different communication skills, according to the
hearing or visual limitation of their disciples.

Thanks to this support, the number of disabled people with access to
university and technical studies is growing, despite the difficulties
posed by the unjust US blockade against Cuba to purchase equipment and
materials necessary for their education. (RHC-ACN)


BREVES INTERNACIONALES

Cuba Donates More than Five Million Vaccines to Africa
Cuba News - December 4

HAVANA, Cuba, Dec 4 (acn) Cuba has donated 5.2 million doses of anti-
meningococcal vaccine to African countries as an expression of its
solidarity and disinterested assistance to people suffering from
meningitis – a disease that causes a lot of deaths in Africa.

Concepcion Campa, member of the Politburo of the Cuban Communist
Party, explained that in order to increase its cooperation with the
World and the Pan American Health organizations and also to contribute
to the prevention and eradication of meningitis, Cuba inaugurated on
Wednesday a modern plant that has the capacity to produce 100 million
doses of active components of diverse vaccines.

Campa, who is also the Director of the Finlay Institute in Havana,
announced the inauguration of other facilities linked to Cuban
biotechnology that will be at the service of the health of Cubans and
many people around the world.

Among other products, these facilities will produce vaccines and
monoclonal products to fight cancer.

For his part, Public Health Minister Jose Ramon Balaguer praised the
work of Cuban doctors, nurses and other health professionals who make
their contribution in Africa where they have helped these nations
reduce their mortality rates.


CARICOM Nations Back Cuba
Prensa Latina - December 5

By Javier Rodriguez Roque

Havana, Dec 5 (Prensa Latina) Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries
maintain firm support for Cuba in fighting the US economic, trade and
financial blockade on the Island. That support has been present in
several international forums and, very especially, within the UN
General Assembly, where the vote of those states has repudiated the
punitive measure.

Prior to the Third Cuba-CARICOM Summit to be run in the eastern city
of Santiago de Cuba Monday, regional countries also demand the end of
the blockade expressed by the Caribbean environment.

The independent States of Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados,
Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and
Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Surinam,
Trinidad and Tobago, and the Montserrat island, an independent
territory of Great Britain, are currently CARICOM members.

As observers are Anguilla, Caiman Islands, Mexico, Venezuela, Aruba,
Colombia, Netherlands Antilles, Bermudas, Dominican Republic and
Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands as associated member.

All CARICOM independent States are also members of the Non-Aligned
Movement and have active participation in the framework of the
Association of Caribbean States (ACS), another entity of the area.

The support and friendship of the CARICOM nations for Cuba is
reciprocated by 1,362 Cuban collaborators currently working in those
territories.

Cuba, Caricom to strengthen ties

Opera swindler flight risk - feds
New York Daily News, NY - December 4

By Thomas Zambito / Daily News Staff Writer

Convicted swindler Alberto Vilar concocted a fictional tale about
fleeing Castro's Cuba and ducked jury duty during a life marked by
lies big and small, Manhattan federal prosecutors say.

In court papers filed Thursday, prosecutors urged Judge Richard
Sullivan to throw the opera-loving financier in jail while he awaits a
March sentencing.

Vilar, 67, faces more than 20 years in prison and remains free on a
$10 million bond.

He was convicted Nov. 19 of stealing millions from longtime investors,
including Lily Cates, the mother of "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"
star Phoebe Cates.

Prosecutors painted Vilar as a "pathological" liar who can't be
trusted to remain in New York.

They say Vilar was born in New Jersey despite repeated claims in
published accounts that his family fled Cuba.

"It appears that Mr. Vilar likely never spent a day of his life in
Cuba," prosecutors wrote.


Mexico sends Cubans home under new accord
The Associated Press - December 4

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico is sending illegal Cuban migrants home for
the first time under a new immigration accord.

A Mexican immigration official says authorities are preparing to send
the Cubans back to the communist island after they were caught in
Mexico.

The official is not releasing additional information.

Cuban immigrants trying to reach the United States have turned to
Mexico in recent years after it became harder to enter through Miami.
Almost all were given temporary visas in Mexico and continued on to
the U.S.

In October, Mexico agreed to send the Cubans home. An Associated Press
photographer in Cancun saw about 60 immigrants being loaded on to
buses early Thursday, and some said they were being sent to Cuba.

A Cuban Embassy official had no information.


WIlhelm Sues Simmons for Defamation
La Alborada - December 5

Silvia Wilhelm, the Executive Director of Puentes Cubanos, Inc. and of
the Cuban American Commission for Family Rights today sued Chris
Simmons who appeared on Channel 41 talk show “A Mano Limpia” on
October 8, 2008 and falsely and maliciously described Ms. Wilhelm as
an agent of the Cuban intelligence service.

The Complaint seeks substantial damages and Ms. Wilhelm is committed
to putting an end to the false and defamatory statements that disserve
both the truth and the efforts of dedicated and patriotic Cuban-
Americans who strive to achieve reconciliation of the Cuban family.

Not only did Mr. Simmons misstate facts, but the host, Oscar Haza,
misidentified Ms. Wilhelm’s husband as a “high ranking military
[officer] of the United States.” The truth is that Ms. Wilhelm’s
husband is a doctor and is not in the military. So the host and Mr.
Simmons both got their facts wrong, but Mr. Simmons’ allegations are
the basis of the Complaint because his statements disparage Ms.
Wilhelm’s reputation as a law abiding citizen of this country who
seeks to improve the lives of Cuban and Cuban-American families.

For any further information contact Ms. Wilhelm’s lawyer, Bruce Rogow,
at 954-767-8909 or bro...@rogowlaw.com


ENLACES

Prensa cubana aplaude a Benicio del Toro por filme sobre el Che. LA
HABANA (Reuters) - Cuba aplaudió el viernes al actor estadounidense
Benicio del Toro por su interpretación del guerrillero Ernesto "Che"
Guevara, pero criticó el retrato del convaleciente líder Fidel Castro
en una película del realizador Steven Soderbergh. Del Toro presentará
el sábado en La Habana el filme sobre Guevara, un médico argentino que
combatió junto a Castro en la revolución de 1959 y es considerado un
héroe nacional en Cuba.


EFEMERIDES

1956 - Sucesos de Alegría de Pío
En la madrugada de este día, los expedicionarios del Yate Granma
fueron sorprendidos por las tropas de la dictadura batistiana. Venían
extenuados, hambrientos y algunos de ellos enfermos después de haber
desembarcado el pasado 2 de diciembre. Las balas enemigas alcanzaron a
muchos combatientes. Los sobrevivientes caminaron hasta que la noche
les impidió avanzar y resolvieron dormir todos juntos, amontonados,
atacados por los mosquitos, amenazados por la sed y el hambre. Así fue
su bautismo de fuego, en las cercanías de Niquero. Así se inició la
forja de lo que sería el Ejército Rebelde.
cuba.cu
Download the original attachment







PRESENTS


CHE

A Film by Steven Soderbergh








FILM FESTIVALS & AWARDS
CANNES FILM FESTIVAL 2008 – WINNER BEST ACTOR/BENICIO DEL TORO
TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2008
NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL 2008
AFI FILM FESTIVAL 2008


PART 1 - 129 MINUTES – 2.35/ PART 2 – 128 MINUTES – 1.85 – COLOR– US/
FRANCE/SPAIN 2008
SPANISH with SUBTITLES & ENGLISH

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For images please visit our extranet: www.ifcfilmsextranet.com
(login: ifcguest01, password: kubrick; select “CHE” from the drop-down
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DIRECTORS STATEMENT

I was drawn to Che as a subject for a movie (or two) not only because
his life reads like an adventure story, but because I am fascinated by
the technical challenges that go along with implementing any large-
scale political idea. I wanted to detail the mental and physical
demands these two campaigns required, and illustrate the process by
which a man born with an unshakable will discovers his own ability to
inspire and lead others.

- STEVEN SODERBERGH
































CHE – PART 1

SYNOPSIS

On November 26, 1956, Fidel Castro sails to Cuba with eighty rebels.
One of those rebels is Ernesto “Che” Guevara, an Argentine doctor who
shares a common goal with Fidel Castro - to overthrow the corrupt
dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista.

Che proves indispensable as a fighter, and quickly grasps the art of
guerrilla warfare. As he throws himself into the struggle, Che is
embraced by his comrades and the Cuban people. The argentine tracks
Che’s rise in the Cuban Revolution, from doctor to commander to
revolutionary hero.


HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

In 1952, General Fulgencio Batista orchestrated a coup in Cuba, took
control of the presidency, and suspended free elections. Although his
corrupt dictatorship was backed
by a 40,000-man army, a young lawyer named Fidel Castro tried to
incite a popular rebellion by attacking the Moncada barracks on July
26, 1953. The attack failed, and Castro spent two years in prison
before going into exile in Mexico.

Meanwhile, a young Argentine idealist named Ernesto Guevara had become
involved in political activity in Guatemala. In 1954, when the elected
government of Jacobo Árbenz was overthrown in a CIA-organized military
operation, Guevara escaped to Mexico. Following up a contact made in
Guatemala, he sought out a group of exiled Cuban revolutionaries.

July 13, 1955 marked a quiet yet momentous event in the history of the
Cuban Revolution. In a modest apartment in Mexico City, Ernesto
Guevara was introduced to Fidel Castro by Fidel’s younger brother,
Raul. Guevara immediately enlisted in a guerrilla mission to overthrow
the Cuban dictator. The Cubans nicknamed the young
rebel ‘Che’, a popular form of address in Argentina.

On November 26, 1956, Fidel Castro sailed to Cuba with eighty rebels –
only twelve of them survived. One of these was Che, who had joined the
group as company doctor.
Che quickly grasped the art of guerrilla warfare and proved
indispensable as a fighter. As he threw himself into the struggle, he
was embraced by his comrades
and by the Cuban people.

CHE - PART 1 tracks Che’s rise in the Cuban Revolution, from doctor to
Rebel Army Commander to revolutionary hero.



ABOUT THE FILM

“Forty years after his death, there are many reasons why Che remains a
potent symbol today,” explains Laura Bickford, one of the producers of
Steven Soderbergh’s CHE-PART 1. “He’s clearly an image of youthful
rebellion and idealism and I think those two things are eternal,
timeless. We aren’t interested in the current politics in Cuba. We’re
filmmakers making a movie about a specific period of time seen from
Che’s point of view.

“We’ve talked to everybody on every side and all of our research went
into the script. We’ll never make everybody happy. It’s impossible to
get every detail exact. We spent three years researching what
eventually became CHE - PART 2. The original idea was that we would
explore one part of Che’s life in great detail. What we found was that
by just doing PART 2, you didn’t understand the context in which he
made the decision to go to Bolivia.

“When we decided to add Cuba and New York and began working on the
structure, it just kept getting bigger and bigger. That’s when we
realized we needed to make two movies.”

“When Benicio and I first became interested in Che and were
approaching various writers, Peter Buchman, who had written ALEXANDER,
was recommended to us. Peter spent a year reading all of the books in
preparation for writing the screenplay. When producing TRAFFIC became
a reality, we were sidetracked for a few years. When we came back to
the project, Steven had agreed to direct the film. It was Steven who
wanted to look at Cuba and New York and re-examine Bolivia.

“One of the biggest difficulties for Steven and Benicio in terms of
the screenplay was that we had so much information and we’d met so
many people who had told us their amazing stories,” continues
Bickford. “How to condense things yet still tell this sweeping story
and make it feel real was extremely challenging.”

“Every writer in town wanted to help Steven write his version but it
would have taken them at least a year to get up to speed. Then Peter
called to remind me that he had already done all the research. I was
very grateful. He was absolutely brilliant in helping us to structure
the movie.”

Recalls Buchman: “I remember that when I called Laura five years or so
after I had done the research, I told her that if they just wanted a
writer to sit in a room with Steven and brainstorm I’d be happy to
have him use me as a sounding board. That was two and a half years
ago. I flew to New York and met with him and Benicio. My biggest issue
with doing just Bolivia was that it presents a tragic ending to a
story that I wanted to know more about. I felt it didn’t have enough
of a sense of loss because we didn’t really know what came before.

“I went away and wrote a single script with three storylines: Che’s
life and the Cuban revolution in one, his fall in another and in
between, the trip to New York to speak at the United Nations.

“The one disadvantage of doing a single movie with that much story is
that whenever you have to condense time you start distorting history.
We all knew there was a lot at stake with the material. I always try
to stay true to the spirit of history but in this case there are so
many people on both sides of the fence who are still passionate about
this subject.

“Steven thought we weren’t doing each major story justice in a single
script and said he had an idea for two movies. Because the United
Nations was about to undergo a major renovation, we went ahead and
shot the scenes of Che speaking to the General Assembly in 1964. Laura
turned to me and said, “Isn’t this a celebratory moment?” and I said
I’d have thought it was a great moment too - if I didn’t have to go
home now and write two screenplays!

“I had to rethink the whole structure of the Cuban story because
initially I had written such a condensed version of it. I had to go
back to the history and this was a process
that Steven and Benicio and Laura were very involved with.”

























7 YEARS OF RESEARCH

“The process of playing Che was very different for me than other
movies I have made,” allows producer and star Benicio Del Toro. “In
this case, as a real person, you start with the man himself and what
he wrote. This led us to seven years of research into what other
people wrote
about him. Even so, I always returned to what he had written
himself.”

“Over the past seven years,” says Bickford, “we’ve gone to Cuba and
Bolivia and Paris and Miami - pretty much everywhere there was
somebody on either side of the story who had something to tell us. One
of the amazing things about making a story about the Cuban Revolution
is that so many people are still alive who fought in it. If you do a
story about the American Revolution, the French Revolution, the
Mexican Revolution, there’s nobody left
to talk to.

“There’s a huge amount of documentation and photos. The rebels were
pretty good at documenting their experience.

“There are three men who met Che during the Cuban Revolution who
followed him to Bolivia and survived: Pombo, Urbano and Benigno. All
three are in both PART 1 and PART 2. We’ve interviewed them
individually and occasionally Pombo and Urbano together about what
happened to them in Cuba and Bolivia. Urbano was an advisor in Spain.
What that did for us, and what it did for the actors, was infuse them
with a sense of reality that you can only get from someone who was
there. The truth is you could make an entire film about each of them;
each one has his own story.

“The information the actors needed from them was very specific.
Details like: how would they hold their guns in a certain situation?
How did they know how to get from here to there? Would they have
deployed a leapfrog formation or would they have gone through the
bushes? Very specific tactical information, and it really energized
the cast. In our group of actors portraying this piece of the Cuban
Revolution and this piece of Che’s life, we have the whole political
spectrum. Every single political perspective on the Cuban issue is
represented by somebody on this movie.”
ABOUT THE FILMING

“I don’t think we could have made these two movies with the amount of
money we had had he (Soderbergh) not been directing. The speed with
which we needed to move was a big challenge every day for the cast and
crew,” says Bickford.

It was always Soderbergh’s intention to film as much as possible using
only natural light. Most of the action of both films takes place
outdoors. In the end, lamps were used only very occasionally.

One way that the production was able to cut down on time was through
Soderbergh’s use of an innovative new camera: the RED. Initially they
had hoped to be able to use it, but the camera wasn’t available on
time. Recalls Bickford, “We had a very happy accident because our
Spanish work papers and visas hadn’t come through on schedule. Steven
and Benicio and I were grounded in Los Angeles for a week and that
week they called to say the prototype was ready.”

The RED camera is a high performance digital cine camera with the
quality of 35mm film and convenience of pure digital. The body was
designed for flexibility and functionality. It’s a streamlined package
and weighs around 9 lbs.

“Shooting with RED is like hearing The Beatles for the first time,”
says Soderbergh. “RED sees the way I see. Someday I hope to find out
exactly how they made something so technologically advanced seem so
organic, so beautifully attuned to that most natural of phenomena -
light. But for now I’m just glad I’ve got my hands on it because it
actually made the films better.”
CHE – PART 2

SYNOPSIS

After the Cuban Revolution, Che is at the height of his fame and
power. Then he disappears, re-emerging incognito in Bolivia, where he
organizes a small group of Cuban comrades and Bolivian recruits to
start the great Latin American Revolution.

The story of the Bolivian campaign is a tale of tenacity, sacrifice,
idealism, and of guerrilla warfare that ultimately fails, bringing Che
to his death. Through this story, we come to understand how Che
remains a symbol of idealism and heroism that lives in the hearts of
people around the world.



HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

CHE - PART 2 finds Che at the height of his fame and power after the
Cuban Revolution. More than a soldier, Che is a glamorous figure on
the world stage. Suddenly, he disappears, seemingly off the face of
the earth. Why has he left Cuba? Where has he gone? Is he even
alive?

Che re-emerges incognito in Bolivia, unrecognizable and operating
entirely underground. He organizes a small group of Cuban comrades and
Bolivian recruits to begin the great Latin American Revolution.

Che’s Bolivian campaign is a tale of tenacity, sacrifice, idealism,
and guerrilla warfare that ultimately fails, bringing Che to his
death. Through this story, we come to understand how Che remains a
symbol of idealism and heroism that lives in the hearts of people
around the world.













ABOUT THE STORY

Discussing CHE - PART 1 and CHE - PART 2, producer Laura Bickford
says, PART 2 is more of a thriller, while PART 1 is more of an action
film with big battle scenes.

“This is a project that Benicio, Laura and Steven have been working on
for ten years,” relates screenwriter Peter Buchman. “Benicio has been
intimately involved with the development of the screenplay from the
beginning and because his focus was initially on the Bolivian side of
the story, he’s been an invaluable resource for me.”

“I’ve never been to Bolivia,” adds Buchman, “so I had to get what
background and information I could from Che’s diaries and from Benicio
and Laura who had been there and done interviews before I was involved
in the project. I read sources from just about every side of the
issue, including some declassified documents from the State Department
about Che’s trip to New York, and memos from the time he was in
Bolivia. We needed to track what the United States knew and when -
about Che’s involvement in Bolivia.”

“We talked to everybody on every side of the political spectrum,” says
Bickford. “We met the Bolivian captain who captured Che as well as the
three Cubans (Urbano, Benigno and Pombo) who went with him to Bolivia
and escaped back home after his execution. Urbano, who lives in Cuba
came to Spain as an advisor.”

Adds Buchman, “There were already different rebel groups operating in
several Latin American countries. Che’s idea was to go to Bolivia, the
center of the continent, and establish an umbrella organization, a
training ground for these groups. They would train in Bolivia for six
months to a year and then determine when to initiate hostilities. They
didn’t expect to be discovered as soon as they were.”

“Che didn’t pick Bolivia, Fidel did,” explains Jon Lee Anderson,
author of the definitive biography of Che Guevara and the man
responsible for finding Che’s remains in Bolivia and returning them to
Cuba.

“It was possible that the Foco Theory, the theory of a small group of
men beginning a guerrilla front, fighting and securing some liberated
territory and training other internationalists from surrounding
countries, would work there. The front would radiate outwards to Peru,
to Argentina, to Chile, Brazil and so on.

“The Peruvian guerrilla group, which had been backed by the Cubans,
had just failed, the Argentine Foco led by Jorge Masetti had failed a
year and a half earlier and its members been routed, and the
Venezuelans did not want him to come there. Fidel sent word to Che
that he had spoken with Mario Monje, the head of the Bolivian
Communist Party and that he agreed to Che going there. On the basis of
that agreement, Che secretly returned to Cuba to organize and select
men to take with him to Bolivia.”

“Che arrived in Bolivia as a Uruguayan businessman, with a fake
passport and his hairline completely changed. But his clandestine
arrival turned out not to be such a secret after all,” continues
Anderson. “It was beginning to be an open secret that he was in
Bolivia. When Regis Debray, a recognized international leftist close
to Fidel Castro, was arrested in Bolivia it became clear that he had
been with Che.”

One of the first problems Che encountered in Bolivia was that Mario
Monje withdrew the promised support of the Bolivian Communist Party.
According to Anderson, “Monje was aligned with Moscow and opposed to
what he saw as splinter radicals, possibly pro-Chinese, who were aided
and abetted by Cuba to bring revolution to his country. He broke with
Che at their meeting and demanded that those Bolivians who were with
him leave the party. Historically, the great shame of the Bolivian
Communist Party is that it did not provide them with its urban support
network, which was extensive and
nation-wide. Suddenly, Che and his group were on their own.

“Without real warning, they were forced to engage in battle much
earlier than they had planned and without the Bolivians they had
thought would be joining them. They had lost the urban network that
was supposed to supply them with food and recruits if necessary.
Adding to their difficulty was the fact that they were in an area that
was much tougher and more isolated than they had anticipated. It was
beastly hot in the summer and miserable with cold and wet in the
winter.

“I’ve been there and the inhospitable terrain is made up of great
sloping vistas with treeless expanses where you can see people from
miles away,” continues Anderson. “It was very difficult to hide. There
were very few inhabitants and those few had very little political
consciousness. The people who were more politically minded were the
miners but they were in a different part of the country.”

“It didn’t help,” adds Buchman “that when President Barrientos found
out Che’s army was made up mostly of Cubans, he called it an invasion
of Cuban Communists, a part of the international Communist movement.
This was frightening news to the locals on whose support they had
counted. The people had fled from the villages and they were going
through one ambush after the other, betrayed by the locals.

“They were forced to go on the run before training was completed,
before they had a chance to build up a support network,” relates
Anderson.

“Also, Che had severe asthma and guerrilla life exacerbated it
dreadfully. There were times when he was terribly weak and had to be
carried. His body had wasted away; by the end he was really
emaciated.

“Once the rear guard was wiped out, only one column remained. From
then on, their only option was hooking up with the miners in the Andes
and getting out of Bolivia. They were hanging on by a very slim
thread.

“By the time they had arrived at La Higuera and the Yuro Ravine they
were demoralized. They had been watching their comrades and close
friends being killed in front of them day after day, week after week.
It was Che’s incredible willpower that kept them going a lot of the
time.”


BOUT THE FILMMAKERS

STEVEN SODERBERGH (DIRECTOR)
Director Steven Soderbergh won an Academy Award® for Best Director for
his 2000 ensemble drama TRAFFIC. He had earned dual Best Director
Oscar® nominations that year,also receiving one for ERIN BROCKOVICH,
starring Julia Roberts in her Oscar®-winning performance. Soderbergh
had earlier garnered an Academy Award® nomination for Best Original
Screenplay for SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE, his feature film directorial
debut, which also won the Palme d’Or at the 1989 Cannes Film
Festival.

CHE - PART 1 is Soderbergh’s eighteenth film, following, amongst
others, OCEAN’S THIRTEEN, THE GOOD GERMAN, BUBBLE, OCEAN’S TWELVE,
SOLARIS, FULL FRONTAL, OCEAN’S ELEVEN, THE LIMEY, OUT OF SIGHT, GRAY’S
ANATOMY, SCHIZOPOLIS, THE UNDERNEATH, “KING OF THE HILL and KAFKA.

In addition, Soderbergh has produced or executive produced a wide
range of features, including Todd Haynes’ I’M NOT THERE, Tony Gilroy’s
MICHAEL CLAYTON and Marina Zenovich’s documentary ROMAN POLANSKI:
WANTED AND DESIRED. Further producer or executive producer credits
include Gregory Jacobs’ WIND CHILL and CRIMINAL, George Clooney’s GOOD
NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK and CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND,
RichardLinklater’s A SCANNER DARKLY, Rob Reiner’s RUMOR HAS IT,
Stephen Gaghan’s SYRIANA, Lodge Kerrigan’s KEANE, Todd Haynes’ FAR
FROM HEAVEN, Christopher Nolan’s INSOMNIA, Anthony and Joseph Russo’s
WELCOME TO COLLINWOOD, Gary Ross’ PLEASANTVILLE and Greg Mottola’s THE
DAYTRIPPERS.

BENICIO DEL TORO (PRODUCER, CHE)
Benecio Del Toro has earned critical acclaim for his poignant and
powerful performances throughout his career. Winning an Academy Award®
for Best Supporting Actor in Steven Soderbergh's TRAFFIC, his
performance also garnered him Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild,
BAFTA, New York Film Critics Circle, National Society of Film Critics,
Chicago Film Critics Association, and Silver Bear [Berlin
International Film Festival] awards.

Del Toro also earned an Academy Award® nomination for his role in
Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu’s 21 GRAMS, for which he also won the
Audience Award for Best Actor at the 2003 Venice International Film
Festival. He has also received two Independent Spirit Awards for Best
Supporting Actor: for Bryan Singer's THE USUAL SUSPECTS and Julian
Schnabel's BASQUIAT. He has most recently appeared in Susanne Bier’s
THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE and Robert Rodriguez’s SIN CITY.

Del Toro made his motion picture debut in John Glen's LICENCE TO KILL,
opposite Timothy Dalton as James Bond. Subsequent films include Peter
Weir's FEARLESS, George Huang's SWIMMING WITH SHARKS, Abel Ferrara's
THEFUNERAL, Marco Brambilla's EXCESS BAGGAGE, Terry Gilliam's FEAR AND
LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS, Christopher McQuarrie's THE WAY OF THE GUN, Guy
Ritchie's SNATCH, William Friedkin's THE HUNTED and THE INDIAN
RUNNER and THE PLEDGE, both directed by Sean Penn.


Born in Puerto Rico, Del Toro grew up in Pennsylvania. He attended the
University of California at San Diego and studied acting at the Stella
Adler Conservatory under the tutelage of Arthur Mendoza. He currently
resides in Los Angeles.

LAURA BICKFORD (PRODUCER)
Laura Bickford is the Academy Award® nominated producer of the
critically-acclaimed TRAFFIC, her first collaboration with Soderbergh
and Del Toro. The film earned four out of five Oscars® for which it
was nominated.

One of the film industry’s leading producers, Laura Bickford
Productions was merged with River Road Entertainment for two years
during which time they financed Ang Lee’s multi-award-winning
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, StevenShainberg’s FUR: AN IMAGINARY PORTRAIT OF
DIANE
ARBUS, starring Nicole Kidman, and Robert Altman’s swansong A PRAIRIE
HOME COMPANION.

Bickford made her producing debut in 1995 with CITIZEN X for HBO
Pictures. Based on the true story of Russian serial killer Andrei
Chikatila, the film was written and directed by Chris Gerolmo. CITIZEN
X received a Cable Ace Award forBest Picture and earned multiple Emmy
and Golden GlobeAward nominations.

JON LEE ANDERSON (CONSULTANT)
Jon Lee Anderson has been writing for theNew Yorker since 1998,
covering conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistanand Lebanon. He has also
reported from Liberia, Angola,Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba and Iran, and
written numerousprofiles of political leaders including Hugo Chavez,
Fidel Castro, Augusto Pinochet, King Juan Carlos, Saddam Hussein,Hamid
Karzai and Jalal Talabani.

Anderson is also the author of several books, including “Che Guevara:
A Revolutionary Life”, “The Lion’s Grave: Dispatches From
Afghanistan”, “Guerrillas: Journeys in the InsurgentWorld” and, most
recently, “The Fall of Baghdad”.

His biography of Ernesto Che Guevara was the result of five years’
research, three of which he spent in Havana. For the book, Anderson
also traveled to Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, Paraguay, Spain, Sweden,
the US and Russia. In 1995, he broke the story, in the The New York
Times, of the whereabouts of Guevara’s secretly buried remains in
Bolivia. “Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life” was first published by
Grove Press, New York, and has since been translated into many
languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Swedish, Finnish,
Danish, German, Serbo-Croatian, Turkish, and Farsi.

Anderson reported on Central America’s civil wars for Time magazine
during the 1980s and went on to cover the conflicts in Northern
Ireland, Uganda, Western Sahara, Sri Lanka, Burma, Israel and Bosnia.
His work has been published in The New York Times, The Los Angeles
Times, Harper’s, The Financial Times, The Guardian, El Pais and other
journals.
Most Cuban republicans have dabbled in cocaine trade, FEW survey
shows
By Alvaro F. Fernandez
alfer...@the-beach.net This e-mail address is being protected from
spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
My friend Dr. Rolando Bravo called recently to inform me he was
opening a research center dedicated to measuring opinions of the exile
community. He told me of his just completed survey of Cuban-Americans
living in South Florida who have become rich via the drug trade.
“I named it the FEW Center,” he told me. “Some people may read it
quickly and think it has something to do with Pew.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” I told him. “No, no,” he insisted.
“Perception is half the battle. The other half is how you word the
survey questions, and who you ask,” he continued, “…Then you have to
sell your results.”
Let me back up for a second. I have done polling in the past. It’s a
very exact science. And when a survey is conducted correctly, it is
amazing how accurate they can be. It’s why I wondered about Dr.
Bravo’s crazy idea. And the fact that Rolando is a medical doctor --
not a pollster. He also happens to loathe republicans -- especially
fanatical Cuban exile republicans.
“So, what were your results?” I asked.
“You won’t believe them,” he answered.
It turns out that over a four day period, my friend Dr. Bravo had made
more than 400 telephone calls here in Miami. The results were
shocking. The persons he called believed that more than 65% of Cubans
who owned successful businesses in Miami before 1990 had been involved
in the drug trade. And they were also of the opinion that 85% of Cuban
republicans had dabbled in the cocaine trade at some point in their
lives.
Stunned? You should be. It’s not true. Or at least, the study was
never conducted. There is no Dr. Bravo -- at least not this Dr.
Bravo.
What’s my point?
Well, for once I wanted to emulate The Miami Herald and El Nuevo
Herald and practice irresponsible journalism. Some of the finest
columns ever written for Progreso Weekly have dealt with manipulated
Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald stories. At one time we used to run a
weekly B.S. Detector that described this bilingual scam which offered
differing information from the same article by way of the translation
and omission of key paragraphs. It demonstrated how Miami’s only
newspaper massaged the news to please certain segments of our South
Florida population. Over time the practice has helped to deteriorate
the prestige of what used to be considered an excellent newspaper.
That prestige took another giant step downward this past week when El
Nuevo Herald published a front page story (The Miami Herald had it on
page 6A) whose headline read “Differences about race found in Cuban
survey.” The story deals with a Cuban dissident (not identified as
such in The Herald article), a medical doctor (they just referred to
him as Dr. in the article), by the name of Darsi Ferrer. It was based
on the Ferrer study conducted by an “independent academic project
known as Cubabarometro” which came to conclusions based on what Cubans
“believe” and what they “observed.” (Was there a plus/minus margin of
error?) The conclusion reached by the survey, according to The Herald
story, is that “despite 50 years of the revolution, racism continues
to exist…”
How scientific was this survey? I wonder. Who were the 425 people
surveyed? And how did Dr. Ferrer choose them? Finally, if you check
out the questions, they can easily be applied right here in the U.S.
I tested my theory on Jason, an African-American friend from Miami. I
offered several of the conclusions reached by the Cubarometro study,
but without telling him it had anything to do with Cuba. They
included:
Blacks believe that whites benefit most from the most competitive
jobs.
Blacks believe that whites usually end up with jobs that offer the
best economic opportunities.
A great majority of blacks believe that whites predominate in the
movies and television.
A large majority also believe that police raids and harassment are
racially motivated toward black people.
“So what’s so interesting about what we already know?” asked Jason. I
then told him the truth, where the survey came from and its
peculiarities. He smiled.
Jason holds a position of power here in Miami. He knows how politics
is played here. We’ve known each other for a long time.
“It’s a set up,” he said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Cubans in Miami never give up,” he told me. “And Obama’s a black
president.”
La mayoría de los cubanos republicanos han chapoteado en el tráfico de
cocaína, según encuesta de FEW
Por Álvaro F. Fernández
alfer...@the-beach.netThis e-mail address is being protected from
spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Mi amigo el Dr. Rolando Bravo me llamó recientemente para informarme
que iba a abrir un centro de investigación dedicado a medir opiniones
de la comunidad exiliada. Me habló acerca de su encuesta recién
terminada entre cubano-americanos que viven en el Sur de la Florida y
que se han hecho ricos por medio del tráfico de drogas.
“El nombre que le puse es Centro FEW”, me dijo. “Puede que algunas
personas lo lean rápidamente y piensen que tiene algo que ver con
Pew.
“¿Estás bromeando?”, le pregunté. “No, no”, insistió él. “La
percepción gana la mitad de la batalla. La otra mitad es cómo se
redactan las preguntas de la encuesta y a quién se le pregunta”,
continuó. “Luego tienes que vender los resultados”.
Permítanme una pausa. Yo he realizado encuestas. Es una ciencia muy
exacta. Y cuando una encuesta se hace correctamente, es sorprendente
cuán precisa puede ser. Por eso me extrañó la loca idea del Dr. Bravo.
Y el hecho de que Rolando es médico --no un encuestador. También
sucede que aborrece a los republicanos --especialmente a los
republicanos fanáticos exiliados cubanos.
“¿Y cuáles fueron tus resultados?”, pregunté.
“No lo vas a creer”, respondió.
Sucede que durante un periodo de cuatro días mi amigo el Dr. Bravo
hizo más de 400 llamadas telefónicas aquí en Miami. Los resultados
fueron escandalosos. Las personas que él llamó cree que más del 65% de
los cubanos que poseen negocios exitosos en Miami anteriores a 1990
han estado implicados en el tráfico de drogas. Y también tienen la
opinión de que 85% de los cubanos republicanos han chapoteado en el
tráfico de cocaína en algún momento de su vida.
¿Sorprendidos? No es de extrañar. No es cierto. O al menos, el estudio
nunca se realizó. No existe ningún Dr. Bravo --al menos este Dr.
Bravo.
¿Y para qué cuento esto?
Bueno, por una vez en mi vida quise emular a The Miami Herald y a El
Nuevo Herald y hacer periodismo irresponsable. Algunas de las mejores
columnas escritas para Progreso Semanal/Weekly han tenido que ver con
noticias manipuladas por The Miami Herald y El Nuevo Herald. En una
época publicábamos la columna “Detector de Tretas” que describía esta
trampa bilingüe que ofrecía información diferente de un mismo artículo
por medio de la traducción y omisión de párrafos clave. Demostraba
cómo el único periódico de Miami masajeaba la noticia para complacer a
ciertos segmentos de nuestra población del Sur de la Florida. Durante
años la práctica ha ayudado a deteriorar el prestigio de lo que una
vez fue considerado un excelente periódico.
Ese prestigio dio otro gigantesco paso en descenso la semana pasada,
cuando El Nuevo Herald publicó una noticia en primera plana (The Miami
Herald la puso en la página 6A) cuyo titular decía: “Los Negros en
Cuba: Marginados y distantes del poder”. La noticia se refería a un
disidente cubano (a quien no se identifica como tal en el artículo de
The Herald), un médico (solo se le menciona como “doctor” en el
artículo), llamado Darsi Ferrer. Se basaba en el estudio de Ferrer
realizado por un “proyecto académico independiente conocido como
Cubarómetro” que llegó a conclusiones basándose en lo que los cubanos
“creen” y lo que ellos “observaron”. (¿Había un margen de error en el
estudio?) La conclusión a la que llegaron por medio de la encuesta,
según el artículo de The Herald, es que “a pesar de 50 años de
revolución, el racismo continúa existiendo”.
¿Qué nivel científico tiene esta encuesta?, me pregunto. ¿Quiénes
fueron las 425 personas encuestadas? ¿Cómo las seleccionó el Dr.
Ferrer? Por ultimo, si se revisan las preguntas se verá que pueden ser
aplicadas aquí mismo en EEUU.
Probé mi teoría con Jason, un amigo afro-norteamericano de Miami. Le
mostré varias de las conclusiones a las que llegó el estudio de
Cubarómetro, pero sin decirle que tenían algo que ver con Cuba. Estas
incluían:
Los negros creen que los blancos se benefician más de los empleos más
competitivos.
Los negros creen que los blancos generalmente se quedan con los
empleos que ofrecen las mejores oportunidades económicas.
Una gran mayoría de los negros cree que los blancos predominan en el
cine y la televisión.
Una gran mayoría también cree que los ataques y hostigamiento de la
policía están motivados racialmente hacia las personas negras.
“¿Y qué es tan interesante si ya lo sabemos?”, preguntó Jason. Le dije
entonces la verdad, de dónde venía la encuesta y sus peculiaridades.
Sonrió.
Jason tiene un cargo de poder aquí en Miami. Él sabe cómo se juega a
la política aquí. Nos conocemos desde hace mucho tiempo.
“Es un engaño”, dijo.
“¿Qué quieres decir?”, pregunté.
“Los cubanos en Miami nunca se rinden”, me dijo. “Y Obama es un
presidente negro”.

I can't actually count the number of times over the years that I have
titled or commented on something about Cuba with the old phrase "pot
calling the kettle black" or "people in glass houses shouldn't throw
stones". US cynicism and hypocrisy know no bounds. All of the
"outrages" and "indignities" cited in this "news" (?) article are not
only a mirror of how the US has consistently treated Cuban diplomats
in the US (even those at the UN, who should not be treated
prejudicially because of bilateral relations between the US and Cuba,
but are) -- the reality is, if anyone bothers to check the facts, that
the nasty practices were initiated by the US, and are generally far
worse than Cuba's responses have been.

MIAMI HERALD
Posted on Friday, 12.05.08
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Cuba must respect U.S. diplomats
BY EVERETT ELLIS BRIGGS
sni...@sbcglobal.net
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/800182.html
Those hoping the new Obama administration will move swiftly to
''normalize'' our relations with Cuba might first want to take a look
at how U.S. diplomats fare at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana
(USINT) -- our existing diplomatic establishment on the island.
The Cuban government systematically ignores international practice by
interfering with USINT operations and harassing our people, a
situation that has gotten worse over time. This seriously impedes
USINT's ability to do its work and undermines morale. Examples abound.
• Delivery of diplomatic pouches is delayed, and other official
shipments are subjected to improper scrutiny.
• Items such as printed matter intended for local distribution are no
longer being allowed in, seriously hindering USINT's outreach to the
dissident community.
• The regime controls visits by consular officers to imprisoned U.S.
citizens by limiting their frequency and dictating who on the staff
can perform this duty.
• The regime limits the number of temporary duty personnel sent out
from Washington to perform maintenance on USINT equipment, undermining
the mission's security and communications systems.
• The Cuban government vets all local hires, giving it direct access
to what goes on inside our diplomatic mission and in the homes of our
personnel; and it dictates which houses are available for our staff to
rent -- posing obvious security risks for USINT and staff alike.
• Cuban police control all access to USINT, supposedly for its
protection. In fact, this is how the regime seeks to intimidate and
keep tabs on anyone visiting our mission.
• Perhaps most galling from the standpoint of daily living in Cuba,
foreign officials are barred from shopping anywhere except at one of
Cuba's ''dollar'' stores, where they are required to pay a 250 percent
sales tax on consumer items.
What's really wrong with this picture is the complete lack of
reciprocity. Unaccountably, the State Department simply lets Cuba get
away with violating international diplomatic norms with impunity,
while back in Washington, the diplomatic immunity of Cuban diplomats
is scrupulously respected, and they are afforded all the privileges
granted to other foreign representatives.
Washington seems to have forgotten the lessons of the Cold War. Back
then, bad behavior toward our people abroad begat parallel treatment
of officials from offending states assigned to the United States,
usually leading to swift corrective action in foreign capitals and a
return of comity here.
In addition to a tit-for-tat response to the several examples of Cuban
abuses cited, the State Department should be able to think up
additional ways to level the playing field, until the Cuban regime
adopts a more civilized stance. Why, for example, should Cuban
diplomats in the United States (including at the United Nations) be
exempt from paying sales taxes? This privilege could easily be
suspended until such time as Cuba's larcenous 250 percent sales tax is
lifted.
Why should Cubans in this country be allowed to travel freely,
frequent public recreational areas or rent space outside official
premises for special events, when such activity is denied to USINT's
staff? A serious morale issue at our mission in Havana is the frequent
and often prolonged denial of water and electric power to the
thoroughly ''bugged'' homes, not because of communist mismanagement
but as a deliberate policy of harassment. Even more demoralizing are
the occasional home break-ins, sometimes with damage to personal
property, that go uninvestigated and unsanctioned.
Such outrages deserve swift countermeasures by imaginative U.S.
technicians and agents in Washington. Those at State charged with the
''care and feeding'' of foreign diplomats will strongly object, both
out of bureaucratic lethargy and because of a misguided sense of
diplomatic decorum. But this should not be allowed to get in the way
of unambiguous reciprocal measures, which, given time, will produce
the desired results, as past experience with other communist
dictatorships has demonstrated.
As long as the Cubans are allowed to get away with it, there is a risk
Cuba's acolytes -- Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua come to mind
-- will be tempted adopt a similar approach to los gringos. (To some
degree, Bolivia already has gone one step further by sanctioning an
attack on our La Paz embassy and seconding a threat by coca producers
to kill our personnel.)
How diplomatic relations are carried out is of necessity something of
a balancing act. There is little balance in the way U.S.Cuban
relations are conducted. It's past time to correct this, and it should
be taken care of before any serious discussion of ''normalization'' is
even considered.
Everett Ellis Briggs, a Cuban-born, retired U.S. diplomat, was
ambassador to Panama, Honduras and Portugal. He served as special
assistant to the first President Bush for national security.

Even anti-Castro HERALD readers see the problem with this argument:

ohnrbomar wrote on 12/05/2008

The author states exactly the plight of the US Cuban mission:
"bad behavior toward our people begat parallel treatment of
officials." Inadvertently, he unveils the root cause of his
distress: the past and present abuse of US diplomatic license
to foment sedition inside Cuba. Even for we who do not support
the Castro brothers or their police state it is quite evident
that past US collusion with Cuban dissidents is a really stupid
and self-defeating practice. It plays right into the hands of
the communist propagandists who would conflate home-grown dissent
with US efforts to overthrow the government of Cuba. Ask yourself,
if any foreign diplomatic mission in the US worked actively to
finance and support malcontents within our population, would this
be permitted without opposition? Of course not. We would raise a
hue and cry of outraged indignation. This piece reminds me of the
parable of noting the straw in your neighbor's eye while ignoring
the beam in your own.

Freedom Rider: Mumbai and American Terror
by BAR editor and senior columnist Margaret Kimberley
"Empathy for terror victims in Mumbai is sadly not extended to the
victims of the American government."

The day before Thanksgiving, Americans learned that a group of no more
than ten men in Mumbai, India attacked hotels, cafes, a train station,
a hospital and a Jewish center. The coordinated attack with guns and
hand grenades resulted in an estimated death toll of more than 180
people. The group that claimed responsibility, Deccan Mujahideen, was
previously unknown to intelligence agencies around the world, but the
reasons for their anger aren't difficult to understand.

The attackers specifically targeted American and British citizens in
the two luxury hotels that were under assault. They also killed
residents of a Jewish center. The continued occupation of Iraq, which
was spearheaded by the United States and the United Kingdom, continues
after five long years and will last at least another three. Israel's
occupation of Palestine and theft of its land also continues unchecked
with the full support of western nations. India's Muslim population
has been victimized by orchestrated mob violence. Relations between
mostly Hindu India and mostly Muslim Pakistan are always strained.

So we know why the terrorists are mad and with whom. The need to ask
"Why?" is understandable but ultimately useless and dishonest. Terror
is usually the result of unacknowledged grievance. Muslims are mad at
the United States, Great Britain and the Indian government, and those
who are angry enough to commit acts of violence would obviously choose
India's financial capital to inflict maximum damage and gain world
wide attention in the process.

"Terror is usually the result of unacknowledged grievance."

The scenes of dead bodies and bloody streets were painful but
necessary to see. In five years of the Iraq occupation American
television networks have not seen fit to broadcast images of dead and
maimed Iraqis. That absence of vital information is shameful and keeps
the country in a state of blissful ignorance. It makes already
incurious and uninformed Americans more susceptible to propaganda from
the government and the media.
The reaction to the Mumbai terror attacks is all too predictable.
People are shocked at first, then saddened and frightened. Muslims
feel compelled to apologize for their violent coreligionists.
Christians and Jews are exempt from guilt by association, however.
They are even permitted and encouraged to embrace the violent acts
committed by individuals among them.

As always, Americans never see a connection between themselves, the
acts of terror committed by their own government and anger directed at
them around the globe. Empathy for terror victims in Mumbai is sadly
not extended to the victims of the American government.

Warfare is the ultimate act of terror. It kills not just scores of
people, but many thousands, or in the case of the Congo, millions. War
is given a pass by religious groups, by politicians and by the media.
It is considered an acceptable form of murder. The victims in Mumbai
will be mourned by Americans, as they should be. The victims of the
United States government in Iraq and Afghanistan are not.

"The dead victims of our government are even said to be helped by
America's aggression."

They are considered "collateral damage" of worthy acts. Americans are
told that some good will come from the deaths committed in their
names. The dead victims of our government are even said to be helped
by America's aggression. We have to save Iraqis from Saddam and
Afghans from the Taliban. If they are killed by America's helpfulness
so be it. If survivors complain they are called ungrateful and stupid
or crazed fanatics who don't know a good thing when they see it.

As Americans watch the news coverage from Mumbai and feel revulsion at
the sight of so much suffering, they ought to ask themselves about
their own involvement in bringing suffering to the rest of the world.
Victims of violence should be mourned and killers should be condemned.
The terrorists who attacked Mumbai should be condemned along with
soldiers from many countries who kill in even larger numbers. The
Mumbai toll is shocking but less than that created by bombs that fall
from airplanes or missiles and rockets that come from tanks.

It is especially important now to remember how our country creates so
much suffering. The new president will have a honeymoon, a pass to
start his own evil doing. It won't even be called evil doing. After
all, change has come. George W. Bush, the wicked witch, is dead. All
must be right with the country, even if it continues to do wrong.

Margaret Kimberley's Freedom Rider column appears weekly in BAR. Ms.
Kimberley lives in New York City, and can be reached via e-Mail at
Margaret.Kimberley(at)BlackAgandaReport.Com. Ms. Kimberley maintains
an edifying and frequently updated blog at freedomrider.blogspot.com.
More of her work is also available at her Black Agenda Report archive
page.
http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=913&Itemid=1

A vote for either John McCain or Barack Obama is—at best—an act of
criminal negligence.
Mickey Z.

Former U.S. Interrogator: Torture Policy Has Led to More Deaths than
9/11 Attacks
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/109792/
"How anyone can say that torture keeps Americans safe is beyond me,"
says the author of How to Break a Terrorist. , a former
special intelligence operations officer, who led an interrogations
team in Iraq two years ago, has written a stunning op-ed in the
Washington Post called "I'm Still Tortured by What I Saw in Iraq." In
it, he details his direct experience with torture practices put into
effect in Iraq in 2006. He conducted more than 300 interrogations and
supervised more than a thousand and was awarded a Bronze Star for his
achievements in Iraq.
In the article, he says torture techniques used in Iraq consistently
failed to produce actionable intelligence and that methods outlined
in
the U.S. Army Field Manual, which rest on confidence building,
consistently worked and gave the interrogators access to critical
information.

He writes: "My team of interrogators had successfully hunted down one

of the most notorious mass murderers of our generation, Abu Musab al-
Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq and the mastermind of the
campaign of suicide bombings that had helped plunge Iraq into civil
war. But instead of celebrating our success, my mind was consumed
with
the unfinished business of our mission: fixing the deeply flawed,
ineffective and un-American way the U.S. military conducts
interrogations in Iraq. I'm still alarmed about that today."
He goes on to say that the number of Americans killed in Iraq because
of the U.S. military's use of torture is more than 3,000. He writes:
"It's no exaggeration to say that at least half of our losses and
casualties in [Iraq] have come at the hands of foreigners who joined
the fray because of our program of detainee abuse. The number of U.S.
soldiers who have died because of our torture policy will never be
definitively known, but it is fair to say that it is close to the
number of lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001. How anyone can say that
torture keeps Americans safe is beyond me -- unless you don't count
American soldiers as Americans."

Well, the former interrogator has just written a book. It's called
How
to Break a Terrorist: The U.S. Interrogators Who Used Brains, Not
Brutality, to Take Down the Deadliest Man in Iraq. The publication
date for the book was delayed for six weeks due to the Pentagon's
vetting of it. The soldier is writing under a pseudonym for security
reasons. He joins us now in our firehouse studio in one of his first
national broadcast interviews.

We welcome you to Democracy Now!

Matthew Alexander: Thanks for having me.

AG: It's good to have you with us. Why don't you want to use your
name?

MA: It's just basic security concerns. You know, al-Qaida has
promised
reprisals for the killing of Zarqawi. So it's just to protect myself
and my family. But, you know, after the death of Zarqawi, the
response
was actually, I thought, quite limited. It was less than what I would
expect. And I think it goes to show how much even people within his
own organization disliked him.

AG: Why was it so hard to get your book out of the Pentagon? I mean,
you've got the book. You have to hand it in to be vetted, but they
wouldn't release it.

MA: Yeah, you know, I turned it in in the middle of July, and they're
supposed to do the review within 30 days, and they didn't do that. I
missed the first printing date. When they finally did come back with
a
review of the book after two months, they had extracted an
extraordinary amount of material. There was 93 redactions made. I
sued
-- you know, I sued the Department of Defense first to review the
book
and then to argue the redactions, because they had redacted obvious
unclassified material, things that I had taken straight out of the
unclassified field manual and also some items that were directly off
the Army's own Web site. So, eventually they acquiesced on 80 of the
93 redactions. And if you -- when you read the book, you'll see that
the redactions within -- some of the redactions are still in the
book,
because we had to go to print before we had the results of the
appeal.

AG: So why don't you talk about your time in Iraq? You were a chief
interrogator. Explain how it works. And what is a " 'gator"?

MA: A 'gator, an interrogator, I mean, their job within the mission
is
to extract information from detainees, intelligence -- useful
intelligence information. And it's a timely art. It's one in which
we're always under a lot of pressure to produce results quickly,
because intelligence is very time sensitive.

And when I was in Iraq, I was in charge of a team of interrogators
assigned to a task force, and our mission was to find Zarqawi. We
believed at that time, at least our leadership believed, that if we
could kill Zarqawi, we could slow down the path toward civil war.

AG: Explain who he is, who he was.

MA: Well, Zarqawi, he was an extremist. You know, he got his start as
a thug in Jordan, where he spent some time in prison. He had spent
time in Afghanistan, two tours in Afghanistan. And he had come back
to
Iraq prior to our invasion to set up a resistance. And he was also
the
author of the civil war in Iraq. He was the one behind the bombing of
the Golden Dome mosque that started the civil war between Sunni and
Shia. And it was his idea that if they targeted Shia civilians in
suicide bombing attacks that he could bog American forces down in a
civil war and force us to leave.
SRK becomes 'Datuk' Shah Rukh Khan
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Posted: Dec 06, 2008 at 1705 hrs IST
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Kuala Lumpur Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan became the first
Indian movie star to be conferred on a prestigious Malaysian title.
Wearing a traditional black and gold Malay outfit (Baju Melayu and
samping) and headgear, Khan received the title of "Datuk" (equivalent
to British Knighthood) from the governor of Malaysia's southern
Malacca state.
Baju Melayu is similar to a kurta pajama, while 'Samping' is a piece
of cloth men tie around the waist and which falls to the length of the
long shirt.
The 43-year-old actor, who has a large fan base among the Malays, held
the estimated 1,000 guests at the investiture spellbound as he
received the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka (DMSM), conferred on him and 76
others.
The actor kept waving to his fans as he was escorted into the hall.
The Bollywood icon was the focus of attention as media and fans
clicked away using cameras from their seats.
The actor will be referred to as Datuk Shahrukh Khan in Malaysia and
will be addressed as Datuk. Each Malaysian state chooses its own list
of people to honour with "Datukship". A majority of the awardees are
local Malaysians who would have excelled in some area or are in the
government.
Malacca authorities said Khan was given the title because some of his
movies had been shot in the the historical state boosting tourism.
Khan shot a song for the movie 'one two ka four' in Malacca which was
named as one of the heritage cities by UNESCO a few months ago.
However, the decision to award Khan with the Datukship received a fair
share of criticism across the country with local artists and public
noting that the award could have been given to a local actor or
artist.










Palash Biswas



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