Tagged: Cuba

“It was not until the Freedom of Information Act was passed in the mid 1970s, that we began to see the scope of the United States government’s persecution of political activist. At this point, I think that it is important to make one thing very clear: I have advocated, and I still advocate, revolutionary changes in the strctures and in the priniples that govern the United States. I advocate self-determinaton for my people and for all oppressed people inside the United States. I advocate an end to captialist exploitation, the abolition of racist policies, the eradication of sexism and the elimination of political repression. If that is a crime, then I am totally guilty.” — Assata Shakur

“For more than two years, a U.S. agency secretly infiltrated Cuba’s underground hip-hop movement, recruiting unwitting rappers to spark a youth movement against the government, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. The idea was to use Cuban musicians ‘to break the information blockade’ and build a network of young people seeking ‘social change,’ documents show. But the operation was amateurish and profoundly unsuccessful.”

HAVANA (AP) — Cuban rappers targeted by a clandestine U.S. program are “victims” unknowingly swept into an effort to spark an anti-government youth movement, the Cuban government said Friday in its first reaction to an Associated Press investigation into the initiative.

Vice Minister of Culture Fernando Rojas described the U.S. Agency for International Development program as “treachery” that drew in rappers Los Aldeanos and other Cuban musicians.

The hip-hop operation was conceived by one of USAID’s largest contractors, Creative Associates International, using a team of Serbian music promoters. The Washington-based contractor also led other efforts aimed at undermining Cuba’s communist government, including a secret Cuban Twitter text-messaging service and an operation that sent in young, inexperienced Latin American “tourists” to recruit a new generation of activists.

The collection of USAID missions, which were all undertaken over the same period of 2009-2012 and cost millions, failed.

Rojas said Aldo Rodriguez, lead singer of Los Aldeanos, had received backing from the Hermanos Saiz Association, a youth culture group with close government ties, and “I don’t think he’s lost that support.”

“He, like all victims, needs to think,” about the sources of his backing, Rojas told reporters on Friday when asked about the USAID story. “There’s treachery in the way these organizations operate.”

The U.S. plan called for contractors to recruit dozens of Cuban musicians for projects disguised as cultural initiatives but really aimed at stoking a movement of fans to challenge the government. They filmed TV shows and set up a social network on the island to connect some 200 musicians and artists who would be encouraged to start a social movement. Artists were flown to Europe ostensibly for concerts and video workshops, but the real aim was to groom them as activists.

Rodriguez, who now lives in Tampa, Florida, told The Associated Press late Thursday that the effort had never influenced his lyrics or actions.

“Probably what they wanted was to help the music movement because Cuba is really a country that doesn’t have anything,” he said.

“Neither the American government, nor the Serbs, nor the Cuban government, not anyone, can control my thoughts and my heart,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t belong to the right or the left.”

Rodriguez’s musical partner, Bian Rodriguez, who also now lives in Florida, said in statement on his Facebook page: “We knew little about the real aim of those people. I think it’s important to emphasize that because I haven’t needed any subsidy to say what I think and I don’t criticize anyone who does because they must have their reasons. This (Cuba) is a country where everything one does is repressed.”

This should not come as a surprise to anyone that’s conscious of what’s happening to the black community. They have been doing this in the United States of America for more than two decades…which is why most of the rappers today are gimmicks and their music says nothing of substance — the complete opposite of how hip-hop started. Wake up black people!!!

Source: Desmond Butler. “US Co-Opted Cuba’s Hip-Hop Scene To Spark Change.” Associated Press. December 11, 2014. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ce2a878ea7a941fb93fe718ee6d46e9e/us-co-opted-cubas-hip-hop-scene-spark-change.  Andrea Rodriguez and Laura Wides-Munoz. “Cuba: Rappers Targeted by USAid Programs ‘Victims.'” Associated Press. December 12, 2014. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_SECRET_CUBAN_HIP_HOP_PLOT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT.

a great interview with activist Rosa Clemente: discussing Race & touching on the African origins of Hispanics/Latinos.

Fidel Castro’s warning to the world: World War III will mark the end all of humanity.

Yesterday, I was working on a post regarding the U.S/Israeli-Iran conflict after reading about the new ads that were put up in the NYC subways this week by the American Freedom Defense Initiative which read, “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad.” For some reason, I decided against publishing the post. However, I will say that in no way do I support what the Western world has been doing to the people throughout the Middle East & Africa for the last six centuries.

Today, I saw a news segment by RT (Russia Today) which recently aired Fidel Castro’s — former leader of Cuba — warning to world that if the West & Israel continued to agitate and provoke nations throughout this region comprised of majority colored peoples, War World 3 will mark the end of all humanity. Regardless of one’s thoughts on Castro, it doesn’t change the truth in his message. Just like our cases challenging institutional racism in America, Castro’s message will most likely never be covered by the mainstream America media because our government wants us to continue blindly supporting its imperialistic efforts to achieve a one world government (for the sake of white genetic survival).

There is extreme suffering occurring throughout the world and there is no way God can be pleased with the “crimes against humanity” committed by the world’s minority. When will humanity know peace and how to love again — for we are all God’s people. Our problems are completely malleable…hopefully it won’t be too late for us to (collectively) realize this fact. Peep the video below.