[Marxism] NY Times on Cuba: speculation yes, news no

[Eli Stephens <elishastephens@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Links and formatting in the original:
  http://lefti.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.html#6208817364253780013

NY Times on Cuba: speculation yes, news no

The New York Times writes about recent events in Cuba:

     In his first state reception as Cuba’s president, Raúl Castro met Tuesday 
not with leftist Latin American leaders like Hugo Chávez and Luiz Inácio Lula 
da 
Silva, nor with Chinese officials, but with the secretary of state of the 
Vatican, a traditional enemy of Communism and a critic of Cuba’s record on 
human 
rights.

     Mr. Castro’s decision to begin his tenure by meeting the Vatican’s top 
diplomat, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, a possible go-between with the United 
States and Europe, reflects his practical, no-nonsense style as well as his 
greater willingness to put ideology aside to achieve his goals than his brother 
often showed.

The rest of the article is more endless speculation about the differences 
between Raúl and Fidel. What it's missing is actual news, or even any 
credibility in the speculation. Cardinal Bertone's visit, as it turns out, was 
a 
celebration of the 10th anniversary of the visit to Cuba by the Pope John Paul 
II, a visit which was of course hosted by...Fidel Castro. So much for the 
speculation about how this visit says anything whatsoever about the differences 
between Raúl and Fidel.

But there was more actual news from this visit. Let Granma tell the story:

     Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, secretary of State of His Holiness Benedict 
XVI, 
reiterated in Havana the words of Pope John Paul II during his visit to Cuba in 
1998, when he called the U.S. blockade against the island unjust and ethically 
unacceptable.

     In a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez Roque after 
a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cardinal Bertone added that the 
restrictions imposed by Washington constitute oppression of the Cuban people 
and 
violate their independence.

Funny, I missed those details in the New York Times story. Perhaps because they 
weren't there.


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