Programa CUBA EEUU OCT 1-4 La Habana Matanzas

Program Gira de Presentación del libro RELACIONES CUBA-ESTADOS UNIDOS: ¿Qué ha cambiado? (Editorial Oriente.) Por el canadiense Arnold August. Semana número dos: lunes 1 octubre-jueves 4 de octubre. 

Los 2 semanas organizadas por Editorial Oriente, Instituto Cubano del Libro, Ministerio de Educación Superior (MES), y la Distribuidora Nacional del Libro. 

Lunes  1 de octubre 2 pm. 

ESCUELA  SUPERIOR DEL PARTIDO NICO LÓPEZ.

Moderadora : 

Rectora MsC. Rosario Pentón Díaz 

Presentador: 

Luis Toledo Sande.

Martes 2 de octubre, 10 am.

UNIVERSIDAD CAMILO CIENFUEGOS MATANZAS.

Moderador:  

Dr. C. Miguel A Aldama,  J Dpto. Historia y Marxismo, Universidad de Matanzas

Presentador: 

Rafael Cervantes, Director Nacional de Marxismo, MES.

Miércoles 3 octubre, 2 pm.

Instituto Superior de Relaciones Internacionales “Raúl Roa García.”

Presentadores:

Isabel Allende Karam, Rectora. 

Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, Vice Rector y Héroe de la República de Cuba. 

Jueves 4 de octubre, 2 pm.

UCI.

Moderadora: 

Rectora Dra.C. Miriam Nicado García.

Presentador: 

Luis Toledo Sande 

Primera semana ya se presentó en: 

  1. SÁBADO  DEL LIBRO, 22 de septiembre, moderadora: Nancy Hernández, vicepresidenta del Instituto Cubano del Libro, presentador: Luis Toledo Sande.
  2. MINISTERIO DE EDUCACIÓN SUPERIOR (MES), 25 de septiembre. Invitado por la Viceministra de Educación Superior de Cuba, Aurora Fernández y Yusmila Zamora, Relaciones Internaciones del MES.
  3. MUSEO DE LA DENUNCIA, 26 de septiembre, moderador: Andrés Zaldívar. presentador: Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada. 
  4. UNIVERSIDAD DE LA HABANA, FACULTAD DE COMUNICACIÓN, 27 septiembre. Organizado por la Facultad de Historia y Filosofia, Ciencias Politicas, el Centro de Estudios Hemisféricos y sobre Estados Unidos de La Universidad de La Habana y la Facultad de Comunicación de la Universidad de la Habana.

Por más información, se pueda contactar a Arnold August por su Facebook MESSENGER.

RELACIONES CUBA EEUU ARNOLD AUGUST FACULTAD DE COMUNICACIÓN U DE LA HABANA

Ni tantito así…

Reportaje sobre la presentación del libro de Arnold August en la Facultad de Comunicación de la UNIVERSIDAD DE LA HABANA día 26 de septiembre del 2018.

Por Raúl Escalona Abella, estudiante de tercer año de Periodismo.

Fotos: Raúl Escalona Abella y Liset García. 

Empezar esta nota diciendo que fue presentado un libro sobre las relaciones Cuba – Estados Unidos podría parecer tedioso, e incluso podríamos leer el pensamiento del lector y figurar en su mente frases como: “otra vez lo mismo”, “que sí, que lo americanos son malos, ya los sabemos”. Pero este comentarista está convencido de que las mentes que viajaron esta mañana en la presentación del texto “Relaciones Cuba – Estados Unidos, ¿Qué ha cambiado?” de Arnold August, emergieron iluminadas, permeadas de una nueva perspectiva, rociadas de una nueva esperanza.

Fue así: el autor canadiense eligió nuestra facultad para presentar su libro; cuaderno que ahonda en un análisis actual y pormenorizado de las complejas dinámicas que persisten entre los dos países y dedica un acápite, entre otros, a la comprensión de lo que es libertad de prensa y al desarrollo de este concepto en ambas realidades. Si bien interesante presume ser el libro, cautivante fue el espacio de intercambio que se desató donde intervinieron profesores nacionales y foráneos y noveles feconianos que también se aventuraron a preguntar.

La invitación a la lectura quedó signada cuando el profesor norteamericano Charles McKelvey definió en su exposición que el pueblo cubano tenía en su poder la fuerza aún viva y constante de la revolución verdadera. En caminos tan trillados, donde la apología oficialista asesina sin piedad la naturaleza vivificante del sentimiento, solo la visión de un foráneo nos puede devolver la esperanza de construir el socialismo verdadero, en el que la masa palpita y transforma.

Más allá de la teoría y de la correcta elaboración del libro, quien escribe peca en recomendar su lectura sin haberlo hecho él previamente, pero lo hace consciente de que de esas páginas va a emerger una arista nueva de un problema que ya nos cansa su debate y nos frustra su mención, pero del que estoy convencido de que si obviamos, daría al traste con la Revolución, y no con la figura anquilosada que como quimera ridícula se sienta en nuestras cabezas, sino con la verdadera y única, las que necesitan los obreros, los campesinos, la que habita en el corazón lloroso de tanta tristeza. Esa es la que hay que seguir haciendo, por encima de deficiencias y dogmatismos, y en medio de esta vorágine creativa tener bien claro la imagen del Che, que como paladín de la lucidez nos avisaba, tal y como nuestros compañeros foráneos hoy: “al imperialismo no le podemos dar ni tantito así… nada”.

Cuban Journal BOHEMIA Spanish-language Cuban versión of Arnold August Book CUBA US RELATIONS

10:55:30Bohemia/Arnold August book in Havana. Spanish- language Cuban version

REPORT FROM journal Bohemia, CUBA

SEPTEMBER 22, 2018

Cuba and the United States, Face to Face (+Video)

Canadian journalist Arnold August devotes searching analysis to the current status of relations between the two countries, marked by imperial designs and the Cuban people’s determination to resist their consequences. SEPTEMBER 22

Nancy Hernández, Vice-President, Instituto Cubano del Libro, and essayist Luis Toledo Sande presented the text in Old Havana

by Liset García

“Since my first visit to Cuba in 1991, as a tourist, I’ve been impressed by the people, their way of thinking, their dignity and patriotism. That’s why I’ve come back so many times,” said Canadian journalist and professor Arnold August.

What has changed in the relationship between Cuba and the United States? That is the question August asked himself on this complex and long-standing issue, and the answers – or rather, first approximations to answers – that he found are contained in his most recent book, Cuba-US Relations: Obama and Beyond. It was launched on September 22 at the “Sábado del Libro” (Book Saturday) event, held on Calle de Madera in Old Havana.

As stated by its presenter, the essayist Luis Toledo Sande, this book sheds light on the essentially permanent nature of imperialism as a system that strives to dominate the world, resorting to trickery and deceit when necessary – and not only in the case of Cuba. Two faces of this approach have recently made themselves visible: the line taken by Barack Obama, followed by the more crudely aggressive threats served up by Donald.

Translated from the original Spanish 

How will the Next President of Cuba Be Elected on April 19?

How will the next President of Cuba Be Elected on April 19?

Sources from an expert on Cuba elections, Arnold August

For a full analysis based on interviews with Cuban deputies and experts as well as the author’s on the spot original field work of the full electoral process thus going beyond the formalities and dealing with Cuban reality, consult the book CUBA AND ITS NEIGHBOURS: DEMOCRACY IN MOTION by Arnold August. The publication also compares the political systems of the U.S. and Cuba, a theme being debated internationally in the wake of the recent March 11, 2018 Cuban elections and the upcoming election for a new President.

For further information and purchase:

https://www.democracycuba.com/index.html

 

Praise for the publication:

“Arnold August has been the most assiduous analyst of the Cuban electoral process for a decade and a half.” [written in 2014]

 

— Dr. George Lambie, professor of International Political Economy (Globalisation), Literature and Politics, Latin American Politics, De Montfort University, Leicester, U.K., and on the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Cuban Studies. From the International Journal of Cuban Studies, Journal of the International Institute for the Study of Cuba, Volume 6, Number 1, Spring 2014, Pluto Journals, ISSN 1756-3461.

 

“Finally, a book that explains in depth Cuba’s dynamic imperfect democracy and socialist system, while helping us understand its accomplishments on behalf of working people at home and abroad. August’s comparative critical analysis of popular movements for democratic change in Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, and the United States will help activists to learn from the mistakes and successes of the South while trying to democratize both the South and the North.”

 

— Dr. James Cockcroft, award-winning author of 48 books, three-time Fulbright Scholar.

 

“This book, a tour de force from an expert who clearly knows his field well, is one that goes out of its way to make us think about what we understand by “democracy” and how we should view new manifestations in the ‘Third World.’”

 

— Antoni Kapcia, Professor in Latin American History, Cuba Specialist, University of Nottingham, U.K. Campus.

 

“Arnold August cuts through the common propaganda about democracy in the U.S. and the supposed lack of democracy in Cuba. Where August’s earlier work on the Cuban political system opened a window to this forbidden island, Cuba and Its Neighbours deepens our understanding of Cuba’s participatory processes and shows how they have been shaped by Cuba’s revolutionary history.”

 

— Cliff DuRand, Professor Emeritus of Social Philosophy, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland

 

“August’s latest book studies Cuba’s structures of governance including elections and the functioning of the state between elections. It greatly expands on his previous, extremely useful analysis of Cuba’s elections in the second half of the 1990s. This new book provides a much -needed tool for accurate assessment of Cuba’s unique system of political participation and representation, through empirical evidence rather than through the customary second-hand interpretation. A must-read for anybody seriously interested in Cuba, and in the overall question of democracy and its practices.”

 

— Claudia Kaiser-Lenoir, Professor Emerita of Latin American Studies, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts

 

“This book offers a trailblazing perspective: democracy in Cuba is evaluated and described from within the system itself while comparing it with other experiences. The concept of ‘democracy in motion’ analyzes a creative process, demonstrating how Cuba is a social laboratory. In Cuba, as well as in some Latin American countries, participatory democracy is taking shape. Arnold August contrasts these experiences to the pretences of the U.S. model. Compulsory reading to understand Cuba and break out of the supposed supremacy of ‘the single outlook.”

 

— Claude Morin, Honorary Professor, Latin Americanist, Université de Montréal, Québec

 

“Arnold August is an expert on the Cuban reality and a meticulous researcher like few others. With rigour and a critical approach, he successfully addresses in his book the challenge to explain the idiosyncrasies and the fundamental universal relevance emerging from a multi-faceted examination of the exercise of governance in Cuba. It is an indispensable work not only for us in Cuba who need to perfect the concepts and practices that would consolidate the system we have been building in very difficult conditions for more than fifty years, but also for others interested in the improvement of the human condition as it is experienced in other contexts.”

 

— Jesús Pastor García Brigos, Researcher, Political Philosophy, Instituto de Filosofía; supervisor of its Ph.D. Program; author of several books on People’s Power in Cuba; and a co-author of Cuba: Propriedad Social y Construcción Socialista (Editorial Ciencias Sociales, La Habana, 2012)

 

“It is an enriching book for all those interested because of the overview offered and the context in which it places Cuba. For the Cuban reader, the book is very significant because of its updated vision of what C. Wright Mills wrote more than half a century ago and about which Cuba is very familiar: “changes in the power system of the United States have not involved important challenges to its basic legitimations [sic legitimacy],” and thus the U.S. “appears now before the world a naked and arbitrary power, as, in the name of realism, its men of decision enforce their often crackpot definitions upon world reality.” For the neighbouring reader [in the U.S.], the profound analysis by August, a serious researcher on Cuban themes over a long period of time, brings us closer to the contemporary changes that are taking place in Cuba as an expression of the existing potentialities, but not without its contradictions and the necessity for new developments.”

 

— Rafael Alhama Belamaric, Cuban social science researcher and author of many books, including “Capital Humano: Autorrealización y Reconocimiento Social” (Editorial Ciencias Sociales, La Habana, 2008) and recipient of the Annual Prize for Critical Scientific/Technical Work (2009).

 

“Arnold August’s Cuba and Its Neighbours: Democracy in Motion is an exceptional work that will succeed in the objective of educating its audience. It will assist toward broadening the outlook of all those who read it.

 

The chapter on democracy in the United States is among the best critical analyses I have read of the American nation’s formation, ideology and political system. The documents linked to the book in the website democracyintheus.com have struck me as being very interesting and educational. The commentaries are brief but they go to the very essence of each of the themes, clarifying the reasons for which the political elite in this country operate the way that they do. Everything related to the Puritans and their thought, as well as other idiosyncrasies of the ideology that gave birth to the genesis of this nation, is of great interest, seeing that throughout history they are reflected in domestic and international policy.

 

The analysis of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, their limitations and their class origins is very revealing. The case study of the current president [Barack Obama] is part of the evaluation that I am making. The section on the U.S. presidential elections in 2008 and 2012, the significance of the existent president and how the electoral system functions in this country seem to me among the best that I have read on this theme.

 

The analysis of both the potential and the limitations of the Occupy Movement was very interesting for me. In fact, I learned only a couple of weeks ago [March 2013] while watching the TV channel Russia Today (RT) about the report that was divulged as a result of the Freedom of Information Act in which the FBI admitted having monitored this movement, among even worse acts than this. The U.S. press did not in any way reflect these events, at least not The New York Times that I read.

 

However, it was not solely this section of the book that impressed me. With regards to the absence of elections and democracy in Cuba, the publication contributes to undoing once and for all the myths imbued into the minds of consumers of information that is manipulated by the mass media, which is controlled by major economic interests, following the policy established by the political elites in this country.

 

The book’s description and analysis of the Cuban democratic and electoral system is excellent. It is undoubtedly the best that I have seen written on this theme. There are elements of the democratic functioning of Cuban society that even I myself had not noticed. The publication provides the key to recognizing unity and development of consensus as guides to the entire democratic process. The critical observations are perceptive, very intelligent and placed in their contexts.

 

I have begun to recommend the book to all those who are interested in the subject of Cuba. I sincerely believe that it has made a significant contribution to the elucidation of the democratic reality in Cuba. The book is being converted into a very valuable and essential instrument in the struggle in the field of ideas.”

 

— Fernando Gonzalez Llort, was one of the Cuban 5 imprisoned in the U.S., graduated with a summa cum laude in International Political Relations from the Higher Institute of International Relations University in 1987. He returned to Cuba in February 2014. He is a Hero of the Republic of Cuba.

 

“In Cuba and Its Neighbours: Democracy in Motion, Arnold August analyzes in a detailed manner the often disregarded Cuban electoral system, tearing to shreds the many clichés about the Caribbean republic. He also carries out a sound comparison with the United States, Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador, bringing us to question the concept of democracy and its various definitions that are often based on preconceived notions. This work, soundly documented and characterized by considerable scientific cogency, is a reference point for all persons interested in the subject of democracy as manifested in its various forms.”

 

— Dr. Salim Lamrani is a graduate in Iberian and Latin American Studies at Paris-Sorbonne University-Paris IV. He is now a lecturer at this university as well as at Paris-Est, Marne-la-Vallée University, and has authored many books and articles

 

“Arnold August offers us his deep analysis of Cuban reality in its own historical context. It is a balanced approach toward Cuban democracy, a system that is not perfect, but is fully Cuban. From his own viewpoint as an expert analyst, August reveals before his readers’ eyes a reality that is silenced or distorted by the mainstream media. For the Cuban audience, the book is proof of acknowledgement by non-Cubans who know, admire and defend the essence of the Cuban social process. This is a must-read if one really wants to understand Cuba and the struggle of the Cuban people.”

 

— Luis Chirino, Cuban journalist, university professor at Instituto Internacional de Periodismo José Martí and member of the professional association of Cuban journalists, Unión de Periodistas de Cuba (UPEC)

 

“Arnold August, in his book Cuba and Its Neighbours: Democracy in Motion, allows readers to become familiar not only with the reality of the island’s close neighbour, the United States – the process of its formation, its laws, its ability to endure as well as the characteristics and essential elements of the power apparatus – but also with Cuba and surrounding Latin America. He addresses in particular those countries that are developing 21st-century socialism, with its blue-green-reddish colours, that is to say, preserving elements of the old society, enhancing democratic values and providing an opening for its political, cultural or citizen revolutions in order to build a new society. The references to the links between these countries and their different realities constitute another interesting approach, focusing the analyses on political designs and the legal norms placed in their historical context, thus demonstrating that these countries are not seeking to attain the impossible.

 

The examination of Cuba does not amount to praise on a groundless basis; rather, the author, while recognizing the achievements, is critical, and he identifies the limitations and offers his judgments concerning causes and conditions. He exposes real phenomena and, with this global approach, he allows the reader to know what is being done and why the people are struggling, including the adversities of these nations, whose realities are being distorted as they face the monopoly of mass media and those who seek to impose control based on a single model. Perfect models do not exist – all can be perfected – and Cuba is shown as following that path.”

 

— Martha Prieto Valdés, Ph.D. in Legal Science, Tenured Professor of General Theory of Law and Constitutional Law at the Faculty of Law (University of Havana), Tenured Member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences, Social Science Section

 

“Arnold August’s book Cuba and Its Neighbours: Democracy in Motion is without doubt a publishing achievement that merits the largest dissemination and analysis, given its serious contribution to the scope of Cuban studies carried out in other countries. In contrast to other publications that confine themselves to a highly opinionated approach, August reveals the results of a profound investigation based on different scientific methods, which include, among others, interviews with a wide spectrum of Cubans who brought forward different points of view; fieldwork in scenarios where people’s participation develops; and, finally, the analysis of documents that provide the legal imprint and juridical order to Cuban socio-political life.

 

Based on a clear and precise language, August analyzes Cuban reality by plunging into the Caribbean island’s political system and its innovative mechanisms of democratic practice, which, in the main, are not known outside of Cuba. This ignorance has facilitated the proliferation of distortions whose objective is to delegitimize the Cuban Revolution. The book contributes to undoing these misrepresentations by divulging the diversified facets of the development of democracy in Cuba and one of its most important qualities: the continual striving for empowerment by sectors of the people at the base.

 

We are sure that this book will be very well welcomed by those readers interested in serious and profound analyses of contemporary alternative processes that seek a more just and equitable social order.”

 

— Dr. Olga Fernández Ríos, Researcher, Instituto de Filosofía, Havana, Associate Professor of Philosophical Sciences, University of Havana

 

 

ARNOLD AUGUST’S FIRST BOOK ON CUBA (1999) IS CONSIDERED BY MANY AS A GROUND-BREAKING PUBLICATION FOR ITS VIVID DESCRIPTION OF THE ELECTORAL PROCESS ACCOMPANIED BY PHOTOS TAKEN BY THE AUTHOR. THIS PUBLICATION INCLUDES HIS ATTENDANCE OF THE 1998 CONSTITUTION IN HAVANA OF THE NEW PARLIAMENT AND THE ELECTION OF THE COUNCIL OF STATE AND ITS PRESIDENT. THE PROCEDURE IS THE SAME FOR APRIL 19, 2018

 

CONSULT:

 

DEMOCRACY IN CUBA AND THE 1997-98 ELECTIONS

BY ARNOLD AUGUST

TO PURCHASE USED COPIES, SEE HERE:

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0968508405/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

 

OR

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?isbn=9780968508404&n=100121503&cm_sp=mbc-_-9780968508404-_-used

A Controversy: Views on Human Rights in Cuba

Two Different Views on Human Rights in Cuba:

 

One view from Aviva Chomsky, USA.

 

Another from Arnold August.

 

Here is one optic from Aviva Chomsky, from a recent interview:

[Greg] WILPERT: Well of course one of those things is one of the reasons why Nelson Mandela when he was released, the first country that he visited was Cuba, to I guess thank Cuba for its role in the changes in South Africa. But let’s turn to some of the more controversial aspects of Castro. One of the things his critics always bring up is the issue of human rights in Cuba. Of course when they talk about human rights they’re only referring to political human rights, not social human rights. So in a nutshell, how would you characterize Castro’s role in guaranteeing or failing to guarantee those types of human rights, political and social in Cuba?

 

[Aviva] CHOMSKY: Well first of all I would just point out that the issue of human rights is an issue not only in Cuba but everywhere in Latin America. And that it’s true that there have been violations, well we can talk about on several different levels about what’s going on in Cuba. But it’s true that there have been violations of individual, civil, and political rights in Cuba. But if you compare those to the kinds of violations of individual, civil, and human rights elsewhere in Latin America, you see an exponential difference.

 

For information on Aviva Chomsky and the transcripts of the full interview

See here :

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=17016

 

And here is an extract of Arnold’s view on Human Rights in Cuba as published on March 13, 2016 in Global Research:

 

The Massive US Media and Political War

 

There are several aspects to this cultural war, in its broadest sense, which is presently being waged against Cuban socialist culture. One of these themes is the massive US media war and political disinformation campaign on the issue of civil rights in Cuba as part of human rights. The US narrative is that indirectly or directly – and grudgingly – it acknowledges Cuba’s accomplishments in the realm of social rights, as a subset of human rights, with regard to health services, education, culture and sports. However, it accuses Cuba of violating individual civil rights and political rights, referring, as an example, to the often-cited US-centric double standard of the “right to free speech, free press and protest.” Thus, according to this anecdotal explanation, Cuba is not a democracy, since it violates civil/political rights and, by extension, human rights.

 

However, civil rights, such as political rights, comprise an important part of the foundation that safeguards and promotes the full spectrum of human rights. The most significant civil right afforded to Cubans – and demanded by Cubans – is to participate in its own political system. This tradition, while not perfect and thus always in evolution, stems back to the collective mass revolutionary struggle leading to the victory of the Cuban Revolution and thus to the people’s political power in January 1959. One cannot forget this history.

 

Civil Rights

 

This legacy has continued through many forms while seeking to improve participatory democracy. If Cubans had not had – and did not now have – the capacity to exercise their own political power, how could other human rights have been won and guaranteed? For example, if Cubans had not exercised their individual politics rights in the 1950s to win political power, how would the securing of social rights – such as the right to health, education, culture and sports – have been accomplished in the first place?

 

Since 1959, the Cuban Revolutionary Government strives to involve the participation of the people to improve these social civil rights. The citizens, for their part, endeavour to strengthen their own real political power to safeguard and upgrade their social/economic/cultural human rights. There is ample space within the Cuban socialist culture for this debate and action to flourish in order to move Cuban socialism from one stage to the next. However, this democracy in motion is ignored by the US ruling circles.

 

Washington and most of the US mainstream media only recognize those civil political rights as a component part of human rights defined and demanded by what they call Cuba’s “civil society.” This very marginal “opposition” is ideologically and/or financially dependent on the US, which has created it in the first place. Their goal is to act as a US Trojan horse to destroy the Cuban Revolution from within. Of course, this fringe is hardly a basis for undermining the Cuban Revolution. Thus, in order to reinforce the Trojan horse, the US also targets the more than 500,000 self-employed workers.

 

This growing section of Cuban society is wrongly perceived by Cuba’s neighbours to the North as natural fifth column recruits to the US “way of life and values” (capitalism and dependence on the US) to undermine Cuban socialist culture. The US may underestimate the patriotism of the vast majority of Cubans, including the growing number of self-employed, who the US unjustifiably refers to as the “private sector,” as though they are detached from Cuban society and its socialist culture, which is not the case.

 

The “civil rights” of US-fabricated opposition and any other sections of the society that can be grafted on to them defy the civil and political rights of the vast majority of the Cuban people.

For the full article, see here :

https://www.democracycuba.com/Obama-in-Cuba-US-civil-human-rights-Media-War.html

Please feel free to express views on FaceBook :

https://www.facebook.com/arnold.august.3/posts/160345574399412

Or here on this blog :

 

L’ancien journaliste du Journal de Québec, Jean-Guy Allard a rendu l’âme

L’ancien journaliste du Journal de Québec, Jean-Guy Allard, qui vivait et travaillait à Cuba depuis le début des années 2000 a rendu l’âme mardi matin à La Havane, à l’âge de 68 ans.Jean-Guy-Allard-280x233

Qui était Jean-Guy Allard, dans ces mots :

66 secondes avec: Jean-Guy Allard

Par Jean-Hugues Roy

Propos recueillis par Jean-Hugues Roy, journaliste à l’émission 5 sur 5 à la télé de Radio-Canada. Vol. 28, no 8, novembre 2004

 

 

L’auteur du «Dossier Robert Ménard: Pourquoi Reporters sans frontières s’acharne sur Cuba» (Lanctôt Éditeur, 2004, 118 pages) a un parcours particulier. Ancien directeur de l’information au Journal de Montréal et au Journal de Québec, il est aujourd’hui rédacteur et traducteur à Granma Internacional, l’organe officiel du Parti communiste cubain. Le Trente l’a joint à son domicile à La Havane.

Le Trente — Comment êtes-vous passé de la rue Frontenac à la Plaza de la Revolución?

Jean-Guy Allard — J’ai travaillé pratiquement 30 ans pour Quebecor. Sauf deux ou trois ans, j’ai été cadre syndiqué ou non syndiqué des rédactions où je me trouvais. J’ai voyagé pour la première fois à Cuba en novembre 1967 et y suis retourné souvent avec des entreprises qui cherchaient des contacts. Je me suis remarié ici, j’ai eu un enfant. Puis j’ai décidé de décrocher du Québec, de ses bancs de neige, de ses taxes, de Jean Chrétien. Je suis arrivé ici à la fin 2000.

On m’a confié la couverture de tout ce qui touche le terrorisme contre Cuba. Je traite également des groupes extrémistes de Miami.

Et je me suis rendu compte que le site web de RSF exagérait sur Cuba. Faut pas avoir voyagé longtemps en Amérique latine pour savoir qu’un journaliste opposé au régime, dans la plupart des pays, on va vite lui trouver un ravin où il va finir ses jours.

Le Trente — Pourtant, RSF en parle et dénonce cela aussi.

J.-G. A. — Oui, mais il en parle bien doucement à comparer avec Cuba. Je ne prétends pas qu’ils n’aient pas touché ces sujets. Mais ce qui est incompréhensible, c’est que Robert Ménard s’attaque d’une façon aussi perverse à Cuba.

Le Trente — Y a-t-il à Cuba une liberté de presse semblable à celle qu’on retrouve au Québec?

J.-G. A. — Parlons-en, de la liberté de presse au Québec. Je n’y crois pas du tout. J’ai eu assez de commandes de front page sur Céline Dion ou n’importe quelle autre connerie, au fil des ans! Les journaux vivent de la publicité qui les soutient financièrement.

Le Trente — Mais la liberté de presse à Cuba est-elle plus grande?

J.-G. A. — Non. Je ne vais surtout pas prétendre ça. La presse cubaine est la presse d’un pays qui est attaqué depuis 45 ans par les États-Unis. On rigole pas, là. C’est une presse militante, qui défend les idées du pouvoir, c’est indéniable.

Le Trente — Peut-on critiquer le régime dans votre journal?

J.-G. A. — C’est rien de très original que de critiquer ici la qualité des transports, les services d’électricité, le fonctionnement des entreprises, etc. C’est pas exactement le pays où les gens sont muselés. Faire taire un cubain, c’est aussi difficile que d’empêcher un Parisien de râler.

Le Trente — Mais peut-on critiquer Fidel Castro, le pouvoir?

J.-G. A. — Ah, ben là, ça tombe à un autre niveau. Il y a ici un sens de l’affrontement avec les États-Unis, donc il y a quand même un certain respect à conserver. Mais depuis les années où je travaille ici, je n’ai vu aucune tête rouler. J’en ai vu bien plus chez Quebecor!

Le Trente — En mars 2003, 27 journalistes indépendants ont été arrêtés, non?

J.-G. A. — Ç’a été galvaudé. Il s’agit d’individus qui ont été recrutés, entraînés, financés et équipés par la Section des intérêts américains à La Havane. Leur rôle était de retourner dans leur province et d’envoyer des rapports disant: tel jour, au coin de telle rue, machin chouette s’est engueulé avec Untel.

Le Trente — Si ce qu’ils faisaient était si ridicule, pourquoi les arrêter?

J.-G. A. — À un moment donné, ça devient des collabos d’une ambassade étrangère. C’est comme dénoncer des collabos en France, à l’époque de l’occupation allemande.

Le Trente — Le problème de votre livre n’est-il pas qu’il a été écrit par vous, un employé du régime cubain?

J.-G. A. — C’est vraiment un pamphlet. Je n’ai pas de gêne à dire où je travaille. Je suis pas mal plus fier d’être branché sur la révolution cubaine que sur un régime qui bombarde des enfants à Bagdad. Vous dites que je travaille pour le régime. Si je travaillais pour La Presse, je travaillerais pour le régime capitaliste. Je ne suis pas un partisan aveugle de tout ce qui se trouve ici, mais je pense que Cuba se bat pour des causes justes.

Source :

https://www.fpjq.org/66-secondes-avec-jean-guy-allard/

 

Dignitarios de Cuba y Venezuela en al Foro Social Mundial en Montreal para Marcar los 90 de Fidel

Dignitarios de Cuba y Venezuela en al Foro Social Mundial en Montreal para Marcar los 90 de Fidel

Miguel Barnet

Miguel

Uno es Miguel Barnet. Según los organizadores del panel Barnet es un poeta, narrador, ensayista, etnólogo y político Cubano, presidente de la Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC). Es además miembro del Comité Central del Partido Comunista de Cuba, diputado a la Asamblea Nacional y miembro del Consejo de Estado.

Por la Embajada de la República de Cuba en Ottawa, Canadá asistirán Ofelia Perera, consejera comercial y encargada de negocios y Jesús Padilla, agregado comercial. Por el Consulado Cuba en Montreal, serán  presente Alain Gonzáles Gonzáles, Consul General de Cuba en Montreal y Jorge J. Llorens, asistente del Cónsul General de Cuba en Montreal.

 

Por parte de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, serán presente el Embajador Wilmer Omar Barrientos, el Diputado en la Asamblea Nacional de Venezuela por la PSUV, Francisco Alejandro Torrealba que es también Vice Presidente de la Central Bolivariana Socialista de Trabajadores de Venezuela (CBST) y Esther Madrid, Cónsul de Segunda de la Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela en Montreal.

Después de las presentaciones de Dr. Claude Morin y Arnold August, Miguel Barnet, Embajador Wilmer Omar Barrientos, Francisco Alejandro Torrealba y Alain Gonzáles Gonzáles harán algunas observaciones. La pública hará la posibilidad de formular preguntas a los participantes.

Vendredi/Friday/Viernes, 12 Août/August,  9h00 – 11h30

Université du Québec à Montréal – Pavillon SH (Local-2420) 200 rue Sherbrooke O Montréal

https://fsm2016.org/en/activites/table-ronde-en-hommage-a-fidel-castro-pour-ses-90-ans-homenaje-a-fidel-castro-en-su-90-cumpleanos-a-tribute-to-fidel-castro-on-his-90th-birthday/

 

 

« En hommage à Fidel Castro pour ses 90 ans » “Homenaje a Fidel Castro en su 90 cumpleaños” “A Tribute to Fidel Castro on his 90th Birthday”

 

Fidel 90 FOTOFIDELBUENA

« En hommage à Fidel Castro pour ses 90 ans »

“Homenaje a Fidel Castro en su 90 cumpleaños”

A Tribute to Fidel Castro on his 90th Birthday”

Forum Social Mondial/Foro Social Mundial/World Social Forum Montréal 2016

Langues/Idiomas : Français, Español, English.

Français : Ce 13 août 2016, Fidel célèbre 90 ans d’une vie qu’il a assumée comme peu d’hommes sur cette planète. Sa stature de champion du développement humain et de la solidarité internationale a fait de Cuba un acteur significatif sur la scène mondiale. Sa longévité en a fait le dirigeant le plus expérimenté de la planète, un combattant infatigable pour toutes ces causes qui ont valeur universelle (pour l’éducation, la santé, la paix, la solidarité, la justice, l’environnement; contre l’hégémonisme, le pillage, le néolibéralisme). Fidel compte assurément parmi les hommes d’exception. Cet anniversaire nous invite à explorer certains aspects de son œuvre et de sa personnalité.

Español: Este 13 de agosto de 2016, Fidel celebra 90 años de una vida que ha asumido como pocos hombres en este planeta. Su postura de paladín del desarrollo humano y de la solidaridad internacional hizo de Cuba un actor importante en la escena mundial. Su longevidad le ha convertido en el líder con más experiencia en el mundo, un luchador incansable por todas las causas que tienen un valor universal (en pro de la educación, la salud, la paz, la solidaridad, la justicia, el medio ambiente; en contra de la hegemonismo, el saqueo, el neoliberalismo). No cabe duda que Fidel cuenta entre los hombres excepcionales. Este aniversario llama a explorar ciertos aspectos de su obra y personalidad. English : This August 13, 2016, Fidel celebrates 90 years of a life that he has assumed as few men on this planet. His stature as champion of human development and international solidarity has made Cuba a significant player on the world stage. His longevity has made him the most experienced leader in the world, a tireless fighter for all the causes that have universal value (education, health services, peace, solidarity, justice, and the environment against hegemony, plunder and neo-liberalism).  Fidel is certainly among the exceptional men. This anniversary calls on us to explore certain aspects of his work and personality.
La Table de concertation de solidarité Québec- Cuba (Round Table Coordinating Committee of Quebec-Cuba Solidarity, Mesa de concertación de solidarité Québec-Cuba)

Panel:

Claude Morin, Professeur honoraire, Département d’histoire, Université de Montréal

Arnold August, auteur/author/journaliste/periodista, Montréal :

Modératrice: Colette Lavergne, La Table.

Vendredi/Friday/Viernes, 12 Août/August,  9h00 – 11h30

Université du Québec à Montréal – Pavillon SH (Local-2420) 200 rue Sherbrooke O Montréal

https://fsm2016.org/en/activites/table-ronde-en-hommage-a-fidel-castro-pour-ses-90-ans-homenaje-a-fidel-castro-en-su-90-cumpleanos-a-tribute-to-fidel-castro-on-his-90th-birthday/

 

 

Deux activités à Montréal sur Cuba – Forum Social Mondial

Quebec-Cuba-Flags

Forum Social Mondial 2016 Montreal (Cuba)

Ensemble un monde meilleur est possible
Table de concertation de solidarité Québec-Cuba
info@solidaritequebeccuba.qc.ca

« Relations actuelles Cuba-États -Unis : Résistance cubaine à la guerre idéologique et politique étasunienne et perspectives sur le blocus»


Cette activité traitera de l’historique des relations entre Cuba et les États-Unis du point de vue cubain. Beaucoup d’attention sera donnée aux plus récentes négociations entre Cuba et les États-unis entamées il y a moins d’un an.­­

Intervenants

Arnold August, auteur et journaliste, Montréal


Conférence

11 Août 2016  9h00 – 11h30

Cégep du Vieux Montréal (Local 4.82) A
255, rue Ontario E
Montréal, Qc

LIEN :

https://fsm2016.org/activites/relations-actuelles-cuba-etats-unis-resistance-cubaine-a-la-guerre-ideologiquepolitique-etasunienne/

Table ronde : « En hommage à Fidel Castro pour ses 90 ans , “Homenaje a Fidel Castro en su 90 cumpleaños”, “A Tribute to Fidel Castro on his 90th Birthday”

 

Ce 13 août 2016, Fidel célèbre 90 ans d’une vie qu’il a assumée comme peu d’hommes sur cette planète. Sa stature de champion du développement humain et de la solidarité internationale a fait de Cuba un acteur significatif sur la scène mondiale. Sa longévité en a fait le dirigeant le plus expérimenté de la planète, un combattant infatigable pour toutes ces causes qui ont valeur universelle (pour l’éducation, la santé, la paix, la solidarité, la justice, l’environnement ; contre l’hégémonisme, le pillage, le néolibéralisme). Fidel compte assurément parmi les hommes d’exception. Cet anniversaire nous invite à explorer certains aspects de son œuvre et de sa personnalité.
Este 13 de agosto de 2016, Fidel celebra 90 años de una vida que ha asumido como pocos hombres en este planeta. Su postura de paladín del desarrollo humano y de la solidaridad internacional hizo de Cuba un actor importante en la escena mundial. Su longevidad le ha convertido en el líder con más experiencia en el mundo, un luchador incansable por todas las causas que tienen un valor universal (en pro de la educación, la salud, la paz, la solidaridad, la justicia, el medio ambiente ; en contra de la hegemonismo, el saqueo, el neoliberalismo). No cabe duda que Fidel cuenta entre los hombres excepcionales. Este aniversario llama a explorar ciertos aspectos de su obra y personalidad.

Intervenants

Claude Morin, Professeur honoraire, Département d’histoire, Université de Montréal
Arnold August, auteur et journaliste, Montréal

 

Table ronde

12 Août 2016  9h00 – 11h30

Université du Québec à Montréal – Pavillon SH (Local-2420)
200 rue Sherbrooke O
Montréal, Qc, Montréal, Canada


LIEN :

https://fsm2016.org/en/activites/table-ronde-en-hommage-a-fidel-castro-pour-ses-90-ans-homenaje-a-fidel-castro-en-su-90-cumpleanos-a-tribute-to-fidel-castro-on-his-90th-birthday/ 


Organisé par la Table de concertation de solidarité Québec-Cuba
renseignements : 514-721-4527,
info@solidaritequebeccuba.qc.ca

Two Important Activities on Cuba

Flag

“Current Cuba-U.S. Relations: Cuban Resistance to the US Ideological and Political War and Perspectives on the Blockade.”

“A Tribute to Fidel Castro on his 90th Birthday”

The following is the Communiqué from La Table de concertation de solidarité Québec- Cuba (Round Table Coordinating Committee of Quebec-Cuba Solidarity):

Dear friends,

We are very pleased to invite you to our two activities sponsored by La Table that will take place as part of the World Social Forum Montreal 2016, August 9 to August 14, 2016.

We are proud to rely on lecturers Claude Morin and Arnold August, our reliable friends and collaborators. Please assist us in spreading the word by using social media at your disposal.

In solidarity,

Sean O’Donoghue,

Secretary of La Table

 

Another world is needed. Together it is possible!

info@solidaritequebeccuba.qc.ca

Activity One. This panel will deal with the history of Cuba-US relations from the Cuban point of view. It includes a special focus on the current situation with emphasis on the blockade.

 

“Current Cuba-U.S. Relations: Cuban Resistance to the U.S. Ideological and Political War and Perspectives on the Blockade.”

 

Speaker:

Arnold August, author and journalist, Montreal

The talk will be given in French, with simultaneous translation into English. Questions can be asked in English, Spanish or French with answers from the speaker in the corresponding languages.

Conference

August 11, 2016 9h00 – 11h30

Cégep du Vieux Montréal (Local 4.82) 255, rue Ontario E Montréal, Qc Here is the link to our activity on the web site of the World Social Forum:

https://fsm2016.org/activites/relations-actuelles-cuba-etats-unis-resistance-cubaine-a-la-guerre-ideologiquepolitique-etasunienne/

 

Activity Two

Round Table: “A Tribute to Fidel Castro on his 90th Birthday”

 

This August 13, 2016, Fidel celebrates 90 years of a life he has assumed as few men on this planet. His stature as champion of human development and international solidarity has made Cuba a significant player on the world stage. His longevity has made him the most experienced leader in the world, a tireless fighter for all the causes that have universal value ( education, health, peace, solidarity, justice,  environment protection, against hegemony, plunder, and neo-liberalism). Fidel certainly stands among  men of exception. This anniversary calls upon us to explore certain aspects of his work and personality.

 

Speakers:

Claude Morin, Honorary Professor, Department of History, Université de Montréal
Arnold August, author and journalist, Montréal

 

The presentation will be in French, with simultaneous translation into English and Spanish

Round Table

August 12, 2016 9h00 – 11h30

Université du Québec à Montréal – Pavillon SH (Local-2420) 200 rue Sherbrooke O Montréal, Qc, Montréal, Canada

See the WSF web site on this event here:

https://fsm2016.org/activites/table-ronde-en-hommage-a-fidel-castro-pour-ses-90-ans-homenaje-a-fidel-castro-en-su-90-cumpleanos-a-tribute-to-fidel-castro-on-his-90th-birthday/

Hope to see you there!