• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Vol. 17, No. 6 June 2009 www.cubanews.com In the News Telecom ventures show huge potential, Sixto: ‘I’m sorry’ but face political obstacles in U.S., Cuba Rising political star Felipe Sixto admits BY ANA RADELAT Cuba did from the traffic — and probably much greed destroyed his dream ..........Page 3 uba received more than $214 million from more — since Cuba’s share of the income is U.S. telephone companies last year, capped by U.S. law. Most phone traffic between Where’s the ball? Caccording to documents released by the the two countries originates in the United U.S. Treasury Department — making the pay- States, by exiles calling their families in Cuba. Rest of world still waits for Obama admin- ments a bigger source of foreign exchange for The number of long-distance calls between istration to make a move ..............Page 4 Cuba than sugar, and nearly as big as cigars. Cuba and the United States has steadily in- The phone payments are also a clear indica- creased since the 1992 Cuba Democracy Act Newsmakers tion of how much Cuba could benefit from ex- allowed U.S. telecom companies and the Cuban panded telecommunications links with the state phone monopoly to enter into agreements Cuban top blogger Yoani Sánchez irritates United States. to open direct communications lines. the authorities with her hugely popular “That’s a huge chunk of change, considering The $214 million Cuba received from U.S. the limited amount of traffic the island allows,” telephone traffic in 2008 is a huge increase from ‘Generación Y’ online column ......Page 8 said Enrique Lopez, a global telecom consultant the $54 million it earned from those fees in 1995 and chief of Miami-based AKL Group. — the first full year contracts were in place 2.5% growth, if that Lopez said Cuba has only 11 phones per 100 between U.S telecom firms and Empresa de Cuba revises 2009 GDP growth forecast inhabitants. International traffic is often limited Telecomunicaciones de Cuba SA (Etecsa). by the Cuban government, he said, whenever Initially, AT&T provided most of the long-dis- from 6% to 2.5% — or less .............Page 9 there’s an “event” in Cuba, such as rumors of tance service, but other companies, including Fidel Castro’s death or a new report of a crisis Sprint (now Sprint Nextel) and MCI Worldcom, CYO: Room to grow in his health. (now Verizon Business) also signed contracts to Cayo Largo del Sur’s international airport Yet U.S. carriers earned at least as much as See Telecom, page 3 has space, but few tourists .........Page 10 Center for a Free Cuba gets a new boss: Orbitz chimes in Online travel giant launches site to protest controversial ex-USINT chief Jim Cason U.S. travel ban to Cuba ...............Page 11 BY TRACEY EATON ing to destabilize the socialist regime. And Cas- Farm future gloomy ot long after James Cason became tro loyalists describe its executive director, Frank Calzón, as a former CIA “mercenary.” Official statistics paint dismal picture of America’s top diplomat in Havana, Fidel NCastro called him a “bully with diplomat- A lawyer for Calzón denies the accusations, Cuba’s agriculture output ...........Page 12 ic immunity.” telling Counterpunch in 2005 he’s “never been Cason left the federal government last year, employed by the CIA” and has “has never sup- Tensions at the top but he has a familiar mission: He’s trying once ported violence as a means of liberating Cuba.” Cuban officials attack pro-democracy groups, Analyst Brian Latell analyzes growing fric- again to bring democracy to Cuba. Cason has been named president of the Cason said, because they’re worried about los- tion among Cuba’s leaders .........Page 14 Center for a Free Cuba, a pro-democracy group ing political control. Already, he said, Cuban based in Washington, D.C. He said a top priori- bloggers have started to break through the Another drought ty will be to “help Cubans get information about socialist government’s grip on information. “Bloggers are dangerous,” Cason, 64, told Lack of rainfall across most of Cuba raises the world and also tell their side of the story.” “That’s the real challenge,” said the diplomat. CubaNews in a recent interview. “The whole alarm for crops, livestock ...........Page 15 “Getting past the censors.” idea of a dictatorship is that you have to control The nonprofit Center for a Free Cuba is a the flow of information. But bloggers are finding CubaNews (ISSN 1073-7715) is published monthly leading recipient of U.S. aid for the island. In ways to communicate. The Cuban government by Luxner News Inc. © 2009. All rights reserved. recent years, it has sent thousands of shortwave is extremely afraid of them.” Subscriptions: $429 for one year, $800 for two years. radios and boxes of books and human rights A senior Cuban official denied that the Castro For editorial inquires, please call (301) 452-1105 regime worries about information from abroad. or send an e-mail to: [email protected]. pamphlets to Cuba. Fidel has blasted the group, accusing it of try- See Cason, page 2 2 CubaNews ❖ June 2009 He quickly put the socialist government on Cason began his part-time job with the Cason — FROM PAGE 1 the defensive. Dozens of American business Center for a Free Cuba in April. He said he’ll “We’re already vaccinated against that,” people had just traveled to Havana for a high- work out of Miami and travel to Washington said the official, who spoke on condition of profile trade show. Cason warned them to when necessary. anonymity. He noted that millions of foreign stay away, calling Cuba “an international USAID is the source of most of the center’s tourists — including hundreds of thousands deadbeat,” a “Freddie the freeloader” with a funding, giving it more than $8 million from of Americans — have visited Cuba in the past “Jurassic Park economy.” 1998 to 2005, the CANF study said. It received decade, and the government hasn’t fallen. Cason also stepped up efforts to help dissi- another $4.29 million in 2006 and 2007. U.S. officials dents and human rights activists, which some CANF estimates that 29% of the center’s say they’re push- critics say led to a huge crackdown, the so- funds in 2005 were spent in Cuba. That was ing for a peaceful called “Black Spring” of 2003 when 75 Cubans higher than some other pro-democracy transition to dem- were jailed. organizations. Only 3% of one group’s funds ocracy in Cuba were spent in Cuba that year. and, toward that CENTER IS ONE OF USAID’S TOP RECIPIENTS CANF is asking federal officials to require end, they’ve sunk State-run media accused Cason of trying “to that pro-democracy groups spend at least 75% millions of dollars foment the internal counterrevolution.” of their resources in Cuba. That way, the foun- into pro-democra- He was unapologetic, telling a reporter in dation says, these groups will “truly bolster cy programs. July 2005 that “...in almost 47 years, nothing the efforts of Cuba’s brave activists.” Since 1996, the has come from being polite to a dictator.” Cason said the Center for a Free Cuba is U.S. Agency for Cason left Cuba in September 2005 and committed to sending as many resources as International went on to Paraguay where he served as U.S. possible to the island. He described the cen- Development has ambassador in Asuncíon for three years. In ter as a streamlined organization with low distributed more administrative costs. than $65 million October 2008, he quit the Foreign Service Retired diplomat Jim Cason and settled in South Florida. Many Cuban- “We don’t even have a secretary,” he said. in pro-democracy Authorities in Cuba block access to the funds to NGOs and universities, said the Americans there applaud the confrontational approach he took in Havana. group’s website: http://cubacenter.org. Cason Cuban American National Foundation. takes that as a sign the group is effective, but But “a lack of oversight and accountability” “Everywhere I go in Miami, people know has made many of these programs “utterly me,” Cason said proudly. he conceded that turning Cuba into a democ- ineffective,” the CANF concluded in March Of all the men and women who have held racy won’t be easy. 2008 (see CubaNews, May 2008, page 1). that post, none has done more to advocate for “A lot of people would love to see change on Cuban liberty than Amb. Cason,” wrote Hen- the island,” he said. “But these are 80-year-old Only 17% of U.S. aid from 1998 to 2006 actu- ❑ ally reached the island, the CANF study said. ry Louis Gómez, editor of the Babalú Blog. guys. They’re not going to change.” The rest of the money went toward research, office supplies, administration, salaries and other expenses in the United States. Felipe Sixto admits greed destroyed his dream “Cuba’s embattled opposition finds itself with little material support from the United ising Cuban-American star Felipe his November 2008 arrest. States as a result of the misdirection of tens of Sixto always wanted to be a lawyer and Prosecutors say he would have kept steal- millions of dollars in U.S. funds,” CANF said. R a politician. His grandfather was the ing if he hadn’t gotten caught. Complicating matters, federal authorities in mayor of Holguin before the 1959 revolution “He only agreed to repay the funds he 2008 charged a former Center for a Free Cuba and his great-uncle was a senator and a vice- embezzled when he was threatened with employee of stealing more than $500,000 in presidential candidate.

Load more

  16

Copy Link