Rafael Román Martel

Mr. Valls has been a strong advocate of Latin American and Caribbean unity as well as a world wide promoter of Christian values and understanding. He impresses anyone who meets him with his cultural depth and his dignity, backed by a lifelong passion for reading, and 20 years of prison for his democratic convictions. The Spanish Club thanks the valuable assistance and human kindness shown to our guest from Vice Principal Edward Marines and Mr. Velasco, World Languages Supervisor Luisa Mendez, UCPO Paul Jauregui, Ms. Lugo, Ms. Cruz, Ms. Dominguez, Ms. Hernandez, Ms. Tinoco, and UCHS Security Staff Luis Francisco. Since his arrival early morning at UCHS Valls exchanged ideas with them until he left.

Mr. Marines. UCPO Paul Jauregui, and Mr. Francisco escorted him to the car that pick him up under a heatwave of 100 degrees.

Tamayo, junto a doce de sus familiares, afirmó que el pueblo cubano está perdiendo el miedo, mientras que la disidencia interna trabaja “incansablemente para derribar” al gobierno de la isla caribeña.

“El pueblo se está manifestando, está perdiendo el miedo y pensamos que pronto obtendremos la libertad. La libertad y la democracia se avecinan y vienen llegando ya”, dijo Tamayo en su primera conferencia de prensa en Miami, organizada por el Directorio Democrático Cubano.

Los familiares de Zapata Tamayo llegaron el jueves a esta ciudad como refugiados políticos con las cenizas del disidente que murió en 2010, tras una prolongada huelga de hambre para exigir que el Gobierno cubano lo tratara como un prisionero de conciencia.

Amnistía Internacional lo declaró prisionero de conciencia después de ser detenido durante la llamada “Primavera Negra” de 2003 en la que el régimen castrista detuvo a un total de 75 disidentes y los acusó de conspirar con EE.UU., entre otros delitos.

Tamayo también hizo un llamamiento al opositor Fariñas para que suspenda el ayuno que inició el 3 de junio.

“Hoy le pido que no siga, que nos hace falta vivo, no muerto, para poder continuar la lucha firmemente como él y como otros hermanos, que también la vamos a seguir. Lo necesitamos vivo”, enfatizó la mujer de 62 años acompañada por su esposo, cuatro hijos, nietos y nueras.

Recordó que ya en una ocasión en Cuba le solicitó a Fariñas que “desistiera de su huelga, que no queríamos otra pérdida como la de Zapata y la del otro hermano también (Pedro Luis Boitel que falleció en la cárcel por una huelga de hambre en 1972)”.

While many stalwart conservatives have gone to bat for Cain since his breakout performance at the Fox News debate, GOProud– and Barron in particular– have been vocal in insisting that Cain not be dismissed due to his corporate experience and his unhesitating honesty in adhering to his beliefs. After that first debate, GOProud lauded Cain for his support of the Fair Tax. Barron later wrote in the Daily Caller that Cain was the only night’s winner that actually attended the debate (besides Sarah Palin). Up until this morning, it was safe to say that Cain had a friendly symbiotic relationship with gay conservatives.

And not all of them have forsaken him. Barron wrote a post in defense of him almost immediately after his comments, as, he says, his personal opinion has no bearing on how he would govern. “The bottom line is that Herman Cain’s personal position on whether being gay is a sin or a choice has no bearing on whether the policies he supports would be good for gay and lesbian Americans,” he says, while openly disagreeing with his claim. He continues:

The truth is that Herman Cain is running on a campaign centered on conservative policies that would improve the lives of all Americans – including gay Americans. Herman Cain supports the Fair Tax – a proposal that would not only jump start our economy, and free up much needed capital, but a proposal that would also eliminate inequity in the tax code – immediately putting treating gay couples the same way straight couples are treated.

Herman Cain supports repealing Obamacare and replacing it with a market based solution that would lower costs across the system, empower individuals and increase the gay people’s access to insurance policies that offer domestic partner benefits.

Herman Cain understands the real and present danger that the spread of radical Islam poses to our way of life. Herman Cain hasn’t been shy about speaking out about the need to confront and stop the spread of radical Islam – a barbaric ideology that brutalizes women, religious minorities and gays.

For Barron, it appears, what President Cain would do in practice is far more important than what he might say in theory. Part of the reason Cain can receive this sort of treatment after said comments compared to, say, Rick Santorum, is that Cain never promised to be a social libertarian, but until now he also never gave the impression he judged others for their lifestyles. His website’s “Faith and Family” section noticeably says nothing about abortion or gay marriage, instead highlighting the Cold War and the fight against communism as examples of how faith can strengthen the nation. He has also said that he has nothing against appointing qualified openly gay people to his Cabinet, as long as they loved America (which garnered kudos once again from Barron, particularly because it was said in front of a “family values” group).

To a certain extent, his insistence that “that’s their choice” in the CBS interview today is consistent with this. He implies more that he believes people have the right to choose to be gay than that he looks down open LGBT people for “choosing” to sin. He responds that it is a “sin” because the Bible says so, but he never insists that everyone should be forced to follow the rules of the Bible like he does. In fact, the lack of specific promotion of faith in his campaign– other than faith in God in some form that is not the radicalized Islamic version of that ideal– indicates that he doesn’t think anyone cares about how he personally prays. His statement appears to be one made out of ignorance to the consequences of alienating an entire segment of society marked by an immutable characteristic, not one of malicious intent or bigotry. If he had spoken out of hate, he would never have taken the risk of telling a socially conservative group that he has no problem appointing an openly gay person to his Cabinet.

But as much as his statement, in theory, may do nothing to prevent his Fair Tax initiatives from helping gay couples move towards economic equality (as Barron argues), so too his apparent lack of malice does nothing to assuage the negative impact of having a high-profile, respected political thinker proclaim that those born gay could simply choose not to be. This is the key problematic element to his statements that supporters like Barron ignore when they don’t give said statements a full-throated challenge.

The promulgation of the lie that LGBT people consciously decide they will adopt an entirely new set of social challenges because alternate sexualities are just that appealing implicitly permits and encourages discrimination. Most sins are not punishable by law, but society certainly treats sinners differently from non-sinners. A society where a trait not of one’s choosing could label one a sinner is one in which the public humiliation of a person because of that trait becomes not only acceptable, but encouraged. Society promotes the ridicule of sinners because sins hurt individuals and the fabric of society– no one really feels sorry for Newt Gingrich or Rep. Anthony Weiner because their choices directly led to their demise and damaged others. Encouraging this sort of attitude towards someone for something they did not choose creates a Kafkaesque situation where the individual has no comprehension of their misdeeds and sees no negative impact to their natural way of being. The confusion directly leads to tragedies like the recent wave of gay teen suicides, the most prominent among which was the suicide of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi.

It is clear from the collected statements of Herman Cain that he does not understand how his declaration that he believes homosexuality is a sin– maybe not murder, but more like adultery– trickles down within the social sphere in a way that drives innocent people to suicide. Cain has strong gay allies that understand where he is coming from, like Barron, who have collectively worked wonders to make him a surprise frontrunner. What he needs is not to be scolded for his beliefs, but to be enlightened into changing them. Cain’s reaction to his Palestinian Right of Return gaffe has proven that he is amenable to adapting his thinking to the facts, and unashamed to say he once got something wrong. Herman Cain is not alone in his misconceptions. While the term has grown to be somewhat of a punchline, the moment is ripe for a “teachable moment”– a GOProud-hosted event about perceptions of homosexuality and true tolerance of the LGBT condition, with special guest Herman Cain. All of conservative America’s eyes will be glued to the discussion– Herman Cain is a big draw, if you haven’t heard– and only good could come out of the continued interaction between conservatives and groups they have traditionally avoided. Or they could do what they did the last time social conservatives boycotted an event in their name: throw a giant dance party.

Los restos de Zapata fueron exhumados el martes en el cementerio de Banes, en la provincia de Holguín (este), y trasladados a La Habana junto a un grupo de familiares para su incineración. La madre del opositor ha señalado, en declaraciones telefónicas, que la familia ha supervisado en todo el momento el proceso y que no fue hasta la medianoche cuando recibieron las cenizas.

Tamayo partirá rumbo a Miami este jueves junto a otros 12 familiares (entre ellos su esposo, sus cuatro hijos, nietos y nueras), aunque ha dicho desconocer la hora exacta. En torno al mediodía se desplazarán al aeropuerto, y ya una vez lleguen a Miami les esperan “grandes recibimientos sea la hora que sea”. En la ciudad norteamericana serán recibidos por miembros de la Iglesia Católica, la oposición anticastrista y el Gobierno norteamericano.

«Salvar a sus hijos y nietos»

Los familiares de Orlando Zapata Tamayo abandonará Cuba como refugiados políticos y “con mucho sentimiento”, ha admitido Tamayo. “Esta es nuestra patria, nunca pensamos abandonarla”, ha lamentado, aunque al mismo tiempo ha apuntado que “dentro de esta tristeza” prevalece su deseo de “salvar a sus hijos y nietos”. “Tuvimos que aguantar muchos golpes”, ha asegurado la madre de Zapata, quien ha adelantado que “no podría aguantar” un nuevo “encierro o maltrato” de uno de sus hijos o nietos.

Sin embargo, ha subrayado que la campaña emprendida contra el Gobierno en los últimos meses continuará: “Esta madre seguirá luchando incansablemente porque el asesinato premeditado de Orlando Zapato Tamayo no quede impune, ni el de él ni el de muchos hermanos”.

Mediación de la Iglesia

Orlando Zapata Tamayo murió el 23 de febrero del año pasado, tras 86 días de huelga de hambre, mientras cumplía una condena de 36 años de prisión. Su protesta fue para exigir mejoras en las condiciones de presidio de decenas de opositores al Gobierno de Castro. El régimen castrista lo considera un “mercenario”, al igual que al resto de los presos políticos que hay en la isla. Amnistía Internacional, en cambio, reconoció su labor y lo adoptó como prisionero de conciencia.

Seguían muy indignados y en esta ocasión tocaba cargar, principalmente, contra la reforma de la negociación colectiva que el Consejo de Ministros aprobará el viernes con un decreto ley. «La vamos a parar», desafiaban. A las siete se dio cita un millar de abanderados del 15-M en la plaza de Canalejas para quejarse por ésta y otras consabidas razones del movimiento (la monarquía, por ejemplo). A la 1.30 de la madrugada decidieron abandonar la protesta junto al Congreso y regresar a la acampada de Sol.

Acampada en el Congreso

Muchos llegaron andando y protestando desde la plaza de Lavapiés para dejar constancia de su disconformidad ante las Cortes. La plaza sin nombre del final de Carrera de San Jerónimo se fue llenando más y más. Se sentaban en el suelo. Se levantaban. Gritaban consignas como «eso, eso, eso, acampamos en el Congreso». Mientras, el gran dispositivo desplegado por la Unidad de Intervención Policial (UIP), con 180 agentes en la zona, controlaba a la masa descontenta.

En torno a las 20.30 horas, un joven de los acampados de Sol introdujo en el lugar una «Quechua». El resto de camaradas le ovacionó al unísono de un «si no entramos [en la Cámara Baja], acampamos». Levemente, los indignados intentaron avanzar en su posición, pero la doble barrera de policías les impedía moverse un solo milímetro.

Constantemente, los concentrados llamaban la atención de los agentes para que se sumaran a la causa: «Funcionario, también es tu salario»; «que se sienten, que se sienten», les espetaban.

Máxima tensión

El momento de mayor tensión se produjo cuando parecía que los indignados pretendían ganar terreno, pero según un testigo, fue cuando el joven de la tienda de campaña se la acercó a uno de los policías con intención de ponérsela en la cabeza. Fue entonces cuando los UIP se posicionaron en cadena y se colocaron los cascos. Cundió el pánico durante unos segundos. Arrancaron los pitidos. Los manifestantes subían sus brazos arriba y enconaban de nuevo: «Estas son nuestras armas». Todo hacía indicar que se iba a producir una carga instantes después; nada más alejado de la realidad. Es más, a las 23.30 de la noche, los agentes se retiraron las protecciones y, aliviados, los del 15-M aplaudieron el gesto expresando: «Estos son policías y no los mossos».

La intención en todo momento, según señalaban los congregados, no era de acampar en el lugar, sin embargo, todo hacía indicar lo contrario. El llamamiento a más indignacos a acudir a la plaza era constante, incluso pasada la medianoche. Y cada vez llegaba más gente a la plaza para unirse a la causa. Incluso se canceló la asamblea general convocada para las diez de la noche. Viendo el panorama, comenzaron los relevos de los agentes de la Policía Nacional.

DEM - State Senate 33rd District
144/152 94.74%
Vote Count Percent
Brian P. STACK 16,338 99.75%
Personal Choice 41 0.25%
Total 16,379 100.00%

El ex coronel del Ejército que, por segunda vez, trataba de alcanzar la Presidencia del país ayer podía considerar que había alcanzado su meta. El próximo objetivo, sin duda, será convencer a los mercados y a los inversores nacionales y extranjeros que, como él mismo confió a ABC, “no soy un peligro”.

La renovación de Ollanta Humala, o actualización acorde a los tiempos modernos, surtió efecto en un electorado hasta ahora resistente a su discurso. Los primeros avances informativos advertían del crecimiento de Humala en Lima, el bastión más tradicional de Perú y el principal distrito electoral.

Unos de los lastres que más trabajó le costó soltar a Humala fue su identificación con Hugo Chávez, “un cuchillo ya usado”, en palabras de Fernando Tuesta (Universidad Católica). El apoyo en esta segunda vuelta de Mario Vargas Llosa, que encabezó un frente común de intelectuales al que se sumo el ex presidente Alejandro Toledo, supuso para él un espaldarazo importante. “Este respaldo le permitió arrancar votos de los sectores sociales más altos”, observa Manuel Torrado de la firma Datum. El cambio de imagen fue otro de los factores que colaboró para que el ultranacionalista reciclado lograse la confianza de los electores. Pero la clave de su éxito, posiblemente, haya sido el rechazo que generaba la candidatura de Keiko Fujimori identificada con la corrupción, abusos y crímenes del Gobierno de su padre (1990-2000)

The 33rd. District elected Stack as a State Senator in 2007, where he has become a strong voice for his constituency. He was effective in representing the people of West New York; now he will represent many Jersey City residents. After the gerrymandering move probably orchestrated by the Hudson County “Boss Tweed” emulators to isolate Stack, he will gain the trust and the vote of thousands of residents of Jersey City that have profited in this new setting of political districts.

They will now have a true public servant as their state senator, and they will note the difference.

Since 2007 Stack has sponsored 20 bills and voted on 125 other pieces of legislation, mostly related to issues directly affecting the working families of New Jersey. His legislative record is consistent with his long history as a tenant advocate and a strong voice for urban and working family issues. As Vice-Chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, he has sponsored important bills like S271, which limits rent increases in certain low income rental projects financed by the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency. In accordance with his concerns for quality of life issues, Stack sponsored S270, which establishes a 1,000 foot drug free zone around playgrounds and other public parks, buildings and housing facilities. A strong voice against domestic violence, in January 2010 Stack introduced S272 which upgrades simple assault committed against domestic violence victims to aggravated assault. From 2010-2011, Stack was also appointed Vice Chair of The Law and Public Safety and Veterans’ Affairs Committee. As an independent Democrat, he has been able to work with Democrats as well as Republicans, garnering the respect of elected officials from both sides of the aisle.

His legislative record is compatible with his commitment to a better quality of life in New Jersey, and answers to the concerns of his constituency.

The citizens of Union City can attest to Stack’s work ethic and the city shows it: new schools, new parks, new apartment buildings that have changed the city’s appearance. Stack has paved the streets, built new sidewalks, and now there’s even a water fountain on 32nd Street and Palisade Avenue. Union City has an effective police department, police presence can be seen everywhere 24/7, and officers are easily accessible and respond in minutes to residents’ calls.

Union City High School is a magnificent building on 26th Street, and the school has improved test scores and teachers and administration performance in two years in an unprecedented way in Union City’s educational history.

In his twelve years as mayor of Union City, Stack built 3 new schools, all with the latest technology, magnificent sports facilities and an intensive teacher training that is paying dividends for students and parents.

Even though property taxes were high when other administrations raised a total 70% between the past three mayors (in a period of 12 years), under Mayor Stack property taxes have remained stable, and owners are able to see their tax dollars constantly at work with all the improvements in our infrastructure.

In 2009 the mayor completed Fire Fighter’s Memorial Park, a recreational center with an Olympic swimming pool and additional water fountains and games for children. Today the park is one of the most popular and save locations for our residents in Hudson County.

A new school is under construction on the grounds of the old Columbus School on 15th Street, and on 29th Street a brand new Art Plaza will now exhibit the work of painters and sculptors.

The new facilities of Hudson County Community College are almost complete and will offer a great education and opportunity to many Hudson County residents, as well as beautifying the city with a splendid building on the side of the recently completed lightrail station on 48th Street. Many Union City High School students have registered to attend this facility, excited by the opportunity it offers. Stack was instrumental in the construction of this building.

The streets are clean and there is a growing sense of community in our neighborhoods, with more cops on patrol, and our mayor holding neighborhood meetings through out the city.

Brian Stack has proven that hard work and a passion for public service is the heart of politics. The equation for his success is simple: he works very hard, sometimes driving his legion of volunteers crazy with his contagious zeal. I can attest to this: I’m very proud to have served as a co-campaign manager in his first bid for Union City Mayor in 1998. After a long day’s work Stack would call after midnight and say: “Do you have a pen and paper? I have an idea!” That’s Brian.

For Stack, politics is personal because his whole life revolves around politics. He never forgets what you have done for him, and he will never forget if you have done him harm even though he resists retribution having all the tools to do so.

Vindictiveness is not part of his character.

In 1998, my friend Felipe Gómez ran with him as a commissioner. Later Felipe disagreed with Brian’s politics and became one of his most ardent critics and opponents. Brian never spoke an angry word against Felipe. When Felipe was very ill, Brian called and offered his helped in any capacity he could. He then gave Felipe the Keys to The City of Union City, a proclamation, and named a street after the Cuban patriot in a public event.

He never forgot Mr. Gómez’s support at the beginning of his career.

When he took office in 2000, he built a brand new sports complex and named it after one of his early mentors: Ronald Dario. And on June 11, Stack will name a cultural center after William Musto, who was his friend and mentor in his early youth.

On a personal note, there hasn’t been a mayor in the history of Union City who has done so much to recognize the contributions of the Cuban community to this town. We are immensely grateful for that. Stack built the José Martí Junior High School, he also constructed the José Martí Park on 42nd Street, where he often stops and brings Cuban espresso to the domino players. He has honored with citations many outstanding Cuban-Americans. In the early 2000’s, the ex-political prisoners building on 43rd Street could not keep up with the extreme property tax rates that the previous administrations imposed on landlords. Stack made the building tax-free in consideration for the years of sacrifice the ex-political prisoners had spent in Cuban jails. Two of his five commissioners are Cuban-Americans.

He is always present to pay his respects on our most significant historic commemorations, and when Elian González was kidnapped by the Clinton administration Stack alone stood against his political party and denounced the way Janet Reno proceeded with the extradition of the young man.

This and more he has done for the Cuban-American community, but he has been there for all ethnic groups in our multicultural setting because he doesn’t exclude anyone from his ample plan as a unifier.

After the campaign was lost by a questionable 417 votes on May 12, 1998, we wondered what to do next— for example: where to find a job, as tradition demands that when stand in front of the Hudson County political machine and lose an election, most likely you’ll be on the unemployment line. Brian was in the streets distributing flyers the next day.

Brian took on a job at PS&G. He read the counters, and for us it was sad to see a man with so much potential, who probably won the 1998 election, in the PSE&G uniform. Nevertheless, he was never discouraged.

From his high school days to his PSE&G hard working days, Stack has never given up on his true calling: helping others. He is just as relentless in his work as he is loyal to his friends and fair when it comes to political attacks, which usually come from the other side: machine politicians. He concentrates on delivering his message and campaigning hard on his accomplishments rather than concentrating on the usual soiled political tactics Hudson County is traditionally infamous for.

With this record, his political adversaries have been reduced to the lowest and dirtiest tactics for which some of them were arrested and face charges.

Stack enjoys a loyal following: an army of volunteers moved by his charisma and his lead-by-example work ethic. When the conventional Democratic machine restructured his district, they underestimated Stack once more. They branded him as an underdog in 1998 and he came back in 1999. They bet all their marbles on stopping him from becoming a NJ State Senator in 2007, and they failed. And they miscalculated his political skills a month ago, assigning him to a new district. Jersey City residents already know who he is.

They will soon find out how effective Stack is as their representative in the senate.

For his political zeal, his concerns for others, his results as an elected official, and his human qualities, Brian Stack deserves the kind of support he enjoys.

Los acampados catalanes proponen convocar una gran marcha de “indignados” que confluya en Madrid, mientras que los asturianos proponen convocar actos de protesta frente a los ayuntamientos para el próximo día 11, coincidiendo con la toma de posesión de los nuevos cargos.

También parece que cuenta con bastantes apoyos la propuesta de convocar una “gran acción” el próximo día 19 -el primer fin de semana tras el 15 de junio-, una iniciativa que partió de Barcelona en protesta por el pacto del euro.

Pero no se ha decidido nada, salvo qué propuestas llevar a la asamblea de mañana para que sean debatidas y votadas por todos.

A escala nacional

El segundo punto del orden del día ha sido el análisis del estado de todas las acampadas, ya que hay bastantes que están pensando disolverse, otras que se han convertido en protestas o “sentadas”, y otras que buscan la forma de “dejar un testigo” en las plazas.

Este es una cuestión en la que los acampados de la Puerta del Sol no acaban de ponerse de acuerdo y se seguirá debatiendo una y otra vez en las asambleas hasta que se alcance la unanimidad.

El punto del orden de día que sin duda creará más debate es el tercero: puesta en común y coordinación política a escala nacional, expectativas y objetivos.

Diego, uno de los organizadores de este Primer Encuentro Estatal de Portavoces del Movimiento 15-M, está resignado: Sabe que este debate puede durar “muchas, muchas horas”, pero considera necesario “descentralizar el movimiento, que cada plaza cobre su propio protagonismo y que cada plaza represente a Sol, como Sol representa a cada plaza”.

Según un informe de la cadena Univisión, Noriega dijo contar con fuentes que revelaron el ingreso del dinero chavista a través de Brasil y Bolivia.

“Tenemos unas fuentes muy sensibles en Venezuela que dicen que Humala recibe dinero eventualmente de la embajada venezolana en Lima, el efectivo es enviado por avión militar a La Paz (Bolivia), desde allá llega a la frontera manejado por agregados militares de la embajada en Lima de Venezuela”, indicó Noriega.

Otro canal sería el envío del dinero a través de una empresa, pero no se detalló el recorrido hacia nuestro país. El periodista de Univisión, Gerardo Reyes, sostuvo que autoridades peruanas tenían conocimiento de esta información, pero adelantaron que no había pruebas.

“Humala está tratando de convencer al pueblo peruano que él no es de Chávez, el es de Lula, pero el problema es que según nuestra fuentes y he visto información específica sobre esto, que Lula es del equipo de Chávez”, indicó.

COMO TRANSFIRIÓ. El ex embajador norteamericano en la OEA, Roger Noriega, dijo que hay cuatro agregados militares, entre ellas varias mujeres que están involucradas en el envío del dinero chavista a Humala y que poseen acreditación de la embajada Venezolana en Lima.

“Son hechos, han pasado por la frontera en los meses recientes con dinero”, sostuvo.

Según la fuente de Noriega, las dos funcionarias presuntamente involucradas son la capitana de navío, Dilzia Torrealva, agregada naval de Venezuela en Bolivia y la capitana de Corbeta, Solineima Cáceres.

La primera fue nombrada el 28 de setiembre del 2010, mientras que la segunda labora en la embajada de Venezuela en Lima. Cabe señalar que una vocera de esta dependencia diplomática negó la versión de Noriega.

Entre los detenidos está Alexis Hernández, de 21 años de edad, Mario Luis Pérez de 20 años,

Leosvany Aguilar de 19 y Osmany Díaz de 37. Todos fueron enviados a la base naval de Guantánamo, según las versiones difundidas en el sur de Florida.

“Se reunieron el jueves, se subieron al barco, desarmaron el equipo de radar y se hicieron a la mar”, dijo en un canal televisivo la abogada de inmigración en Miami Grisel Ibarra, quien representa a Mario Luis Pérez, padre de uno de los jóvenes.

Ibarra explicó que Hernández y Aguilar son reclutas del servicio militar obligatorio y planearon la acción aprovechando que tenían acceso a la embarcación pues se encontraban de guardia en el lugar.

“Ayuden a mi hijo y llévenlo a Estados Unidos por favor”, dijo con voz entrecortada Zenaida Díaz, madre de Alexis, en una entrevista telefónica desde la localidad de Quiebra Hacha, en La Habana. Mientras, la abogada sostuvo que la embarcación fue devuelta, pero las autoridades de la isla solicitan que les entreguen a los cuatro implicados para procesarlos bajo cargos de piratería.

En conversación telefónica con Efe desde su casa de Santa Clara (centro) Fariñas confirmó que este mediodía comenzó una huelga de hambre y sed para exigir que el Gobierno de Raúl Castro “juzgue a los autores directos del homicidio” de Soto García.

El disidente Juan Wilfredo Soto, de 46 años, murió el pasado 8 de mayo en un hospital de Santa Clara y según la oposición interna cubana su muerte fue consecuencia de una paliza que dos días antes le propinó la policía.

As a Cuban-American who came to this country in 1973, I completely agree with Mayor Brian Stack’s decision to honor Mr. Musto by naming a new cultural center in his honor. He deserves recognition for the good he did for our community as well as and for everyone he helped who knocked on his door asking for assistance. William Musto was a pioneer of the true “open door policy” mayorship. Many Cubans who went to his house on 23rd Street asking for assistance are witnesses to the mayor’s attitude towards his constituency. He would open the door and say: “Come in, have a cup of coffee” and would ask “How can I help you?” Union City, and especially the Cuban community, must never forget the way he welcomed us.

In the late 60’s and early 70’s Union City was a quiet town in transition, where businesses were dying and German and Italian-Americans were moving upwards into New Jersey suburbia. A wave of Cubans was fleeing the Communist nightmare. They carried luggage full of despair, dreams and a thirst for freedom. Since the 50’s, a small Cuban community existed in Union City but it was after Castro’s takeover that an explosion of Cuban immigrants arrived in this Northeastern city. Here they found a small circle of family and friends who renovated apartments and created the right atmosphere for them to prosper. They also found a friendly mayor who understood their plight and was open to their needs: that was William Musto. As a son of immigrants, he understood what the Cubans were going through. Although he faced the resistance of other ethnic groups who had already assimilated into American culture and were already established in Union City, as an elected official he opened his arms to the Cubans who would years later make Union City a prosperous community opening businesses and prompting the rebirth of Bergenline Avenue as a commercial center in North Jersey.

It was William Musto who opened the doors for many Cuban-Americans to go to college and to law school, having them sit at his table for dinner with his wife, Rita, always offering food or a cup of coffee in her kind and loving ways.

Later on Mayor Musto was convicted of federal charges. He was also betrayed by some of the same members of the Cuban community he sat at his table and fed and helped through law school. These people turned his back on him, in a shameless exercise of selfishness, with a dagger that even today Cuban-Americans carry in their consciences Whatever he did wrong must not erase the many great gestures he had with so many people. He was a political boss in a time when political bosses were mayors. He was convicted of crimes that could not tarnish the great things he did, not only for the Cuban community, but for all residents of Union City and his senatorial district. I’ve had the privilege of talking with his political rivals and even though they confronted him they cannot hide their admiration for his political skill. He was a man of his time, a true American democrat: locally authoritarian, ruthless with his enemies, but kind and with a great sensitivity to the needy. Most importantly, he had a strong sense of anti-Communism and a self-imposed responsibility to help those who needed the most.

This week Union City Mayor and NJ State assemblyman Brian P. Stack, who was present at his trial in 1982 when he was only 16 years old, said “ Musto was a political heavyweight who treated rich and poor alike, helped constituents get jobs, and would give anyone in need the shirt off his back.”

Stack honors Mayor Musto today by naming a cultural center with his name; this speaks of Stack’s recognition for his mentor and reaffirms his loyalty to his friends.

Mientras Keiko Fujimori insistía de nuevo ayer que no indultará a su padre, el ex presidente Alberto Fujimori, condenado a 25 años de prisión por delitos de lesa humanidad, Ollanta Humala aprovechó esta debilidad para advertir a los peruanos del regreso de un régimen que fue fustigado por las violaciones a los derechos humanos y los casos de corrupción. Al mismo tiempo, la candidata de Fuerza 2011 pone en duda que el aspirante de Gana Perú no cambie el modelo de libre mercado y denunció que mantiene vínculos con el presidente de Venezuela, Hugo Chávez.

La situación en la plaza más emblemática de Madrid, visitada cada día por cientos de miles de personas —muchas de ellas turistas— tiene alarmado también al sector hostelero: la Confederación Española de Hoteles y Alojamientos Turísticos (CEHAT) enviaba ayer una carta al ministro del Interior, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, alertándole del daño a la imagen del país.

Los comerciantes recuerdan que hace ya más de 15 días que la acampada de Sol se ha asentado en esta plaza, y que allí siguen cientos de personas, bajo lonas y toldos improvisados, pese a que la ocupación de la vía pública no cuenta con permisos legales. Hasta Tony Blair, el ex primer ministro británico, se ha manifestado sobre el asunto: en democracia, ha recomendado, hay que «escuchar las protestas que hay en la calle, pero no puedes dejar que te gobiernen». Un aviso para navegantes.

Salvador Santos Campano, presidente de Cecoma, irá hoy a la Delegación del Gobierno para comunicar su intención de realizar una concentración de comerciantes ante el Ministerio del Interior. «No queremos hacerla en la Puerta del Sol para evitar enfrentamientos, y además, creemos que Interior no ha defendido la Carta Magna». Esa protesta coincidirá con un cierre patronal entre los establecimientos de Sol.

Lucro cesante

«Hablo a diario con bares, cafeterías, pastelerías… no pueden aguantar más, están desesperados». Santos Campano reflexiona: «Nos piden paciencia, pero ¿quién les va a pagar el lucro cesante a estos comerciantes?». De igual opinión es Ignacio Lario, presidente de la Asociación de Comerciantes de Preciados y el Carmen (Apreca), que se lamentaba ayer de la inacción política: «La delegada nos pide paciencia, pero no nos da ninguna solución». No entienden por qué no se actúa ya: «En la plaza están durmiendo ahora ciento y pico personas; ya no es nada, no debería ser un problema para la Policía retirarlos, sin necesidad de ejercer ningún tipo de violencia». Es más, está convencido de que «la Policía Municipal ha desalojado plazas de “botellón” con más gente que ahora en Sol».

Actuar «ya». Es lo que ha pedido el Gobierno regional al ministro del Interior. No hacerlo, como ha ocurrido en los últimos 15 días, es, recriminó, «una irresponsabilidad gravísima» y un «incumplimiento de sus obligaciones legales». Permitir que no se cumpla la ley en Sol, añadió el vicepresidente regional, Ignacio González, es «un mal comienzo para las pretensiones futuras» de Pérez Rubalcaba, ahora candidato a la presidencia del Gobierno.

Problema higiénico

González recordó que el ministro del Interior es la autoridad competente en la materia, y le exigió que resolviera «con carácter urgente este gravísimo problema» porque «no puede seguir manteniéndose en el tiempo».

La acampada ya no da más de sí: del primitivo movimiento 15-M que «expresó la indignación ciudadana contra la política del Gobierno de España que muchos compartían, o incluso compartíamos», dijo González, se ha pasado a un «problema higiénico-sanitario» en la plaza. El vicepresidente insistió en que «no se puede permitir que personas que no cumplen la ley causen un gravísimo perjuicio económico a otros colectivos que pagan sus impuestos».

De la indignación inicial ya quedó constancia, recordó, en los resultados del 22-M, «con la caída estrepitosa que sufrió el PSOE». Pero la acampada sigue. Ignacio González respondió también a Rubalcaba, que dijo que la Policía estaba para solucionar problemas, no para crearlos, recordando al ministro que «la Policía está para cumplir la ley». Los empresarios —tanto CEIM como Cocem— se han puesto un plazo para aguantar: hasta el martes próximo. Si no se ha levantado el campamento para entonces, «pediremos otro responsable de la Policía, y me refiero a la delegada del Gobierno, o iremos a los tribunales».

In a very lengthy “Rewrite” segment tonight, O’Donnell called O’Reilly’s discussions of Rep. Anthony Weiner “really, really uncool,” as O’Reilly “provided the eyeroll material in [his] own sex scandal” and, as such, keeping quiet is “just the classy thing to do.” O’Donnell clarified that he himself had not had a sex scandal, and that he didn’t mind if the worst was true about Rep. Weiner, as his “political currency is not stamped with… hypocrisy,” by virtue of being a very liberal Democrat not running on a “family values” platform. He also cushioned the blow he was about to give O’Reilly with a rotating slideshow of politicians that had been caught in sex scandals sharing the screen with him: Eliot Spitzer, Newt Gingrich, Larry Craig, Chris Lee, David Vitter, among others, eventually leading to photos of Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and other notable historical figures.

Then he gave O’Reilly what he called “a lesson in taking the high road” by mentioning without mentioning “the official filings of the 2004 lawsuit against [O'Reilly] for sexual harassment and hostile work environment… you know, the stuff involving the loofah and the falafel.” “I’m putting down this weapon,” O’Donnell told O’Reilly through the screen, though by this point the damage had been done. After this assault, O’Donnell laid down his own law on covering sex scandals again: those who have not been accused of sexual misconduct, “they can take as many shots at Weiner as they want, I don’t care. But you, Bill? C’mon.”

The problem with the operative premise that O’Donnell employs to attack O’Reilly is that he assumes O’Reilly is going after Rep. Weiner from a moral perspective– which is a reasonable assumption to make if one hasn’t watched The O’Reilly Factor since about 2002. Except the assumption didn’t actually manifest itself in reality: O’Reilly’s argument about Rep. Weiner’s behavior has been consistently that he wants the FBI to investigate because he sees hacking as a major national security threat (though skeptics can reasonably see this as a politically expedient strategy for the self-defined traditionalist).

During Tuesday’s program– the first to address the issue– O’Reilly demanded that FBI director Robert Mueller take charge of the investigation, saving his ire for the authorities and mentioning Rep. Weiner only as much as necessary to explain the story. On yesterday’s program, O’Reilly used Wikileaks as an example of why the issue is a problem, taking care to note that he perceived this as a threat to the security of the federal government.

Gov. Christie’s spokeswoman announced today that the luxury ride from Iowa to New Jersey would no longer be on the people’s tab, according to the AP:

A spokeswoman for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says the governor and State Republican Committee are reimbursing the state for all personal use of a state police helicopter, which includes two trips to watch his oldest son’s baseball games.

Spokeswoman Maria Comella says Christie has paid $2,251 to the state to cover the cost of all trips.

Comella also says the state GOP has paid $919 to cover the cost of Christie’s trip Tuesday when used the helicopter to fly 75 miles from a game in Montvale to Princeton to take meeting with a group of top GOP campaign contributors from Iowa.

This comes as a change in attitude from the Christie administration, which had initially refused to refund the state for the travel expenses. New Jersey’s state debt topped $32 billion at the end of the past year and was a major campaign issue partially contributing to the success of Gov. Christie’s campaign. Now if only Christie could reimburse New Jersey taxpayers for the extra $440,000 a year his cabinet’s salaries amount to over the Corzine administration, he may actually do something to improve his approval ratings.

The “Tequila Party,” CNN reports, is a group organized by Cuban-Americans Augustin “Gus” Garcia and Belinda Garcia-Blase to get out the vote in the Latino community. “It’s more about registering to vote and then voting than supporting particular candidates,” CNN reports, noting that their first event, scheduled for June 4 in Arizona, deliberately omits references to any particular politician and instead aims to “impact the 2012 elections.” Garcia notes that the choice of “Tequila” as the name for the group was a decision based on the fact that Latin Americans are “a culture that likes humor” and “are not Puritans.” “You have to laugh because there is no logic in racism,” Garcia told CNN, noting that Latin Americans are “united by culture and language.” Garcia-Blase echoed these sentiments, adding that “Latins are the neighbor next door that brings global society.”

The entire piece on the Tequila Party is a hefty bundle of fodder for cultural criticism in its own right, but the above summary captures most of the egregiously problematic language. The simplest way to begin is by pointing out that Tequila is an almost exclusively Mexican drink (due to Spanish imperialism, the Philippines had a hand in its development as well)– thus not ideal to represent the entire continent of South America, of which Mexico is not a part, nor any nation of the West Indies. Then there’s the generalization that Latin Americans are “a culture that likes humor,” which whittles down the role of about 600 million people to court jesters, just standing around ready to make the rest of the world laugh. It is also worthy of note that equating an entire culture with an alcoholic drink is the sort of ethnically insensitive generalization that, if made by anyone who isn’t Latin American, would cause an uproar. Furthermore, while technically correct in calling Latin Americans “not Puritans,” the continent has a rich Catholic tradition that serves to undermine the claim that social conservative values are not taken seriously in the region. Then again, if the initial premise is that Latinos are “humorous,” the conclusion that they don’t take anything seriously comes naturally.

Perhaps most emblematic of the recurring problem the media has had with understanding the dynamics of the Latin American community is Garcia’s assertion that all of Latin America has “a culture and language.” Even excluding the fact that Brazilians speak Portuguese, the differences in regional dialects are so vast that it is often said that Argentine Spanish is unintelligible to, say, a Mexican native and vice versa. Racially, Latin America is as diverse as the United States or more– for example, 55% of Mexican Americans identify as white, while 2% identify as indigenous, and less than 0% as black. Cuban Americans, in turn, identify as 90% white, 5% black, and less than 0% indigenous. The black populace is highest among Dominican Americans at 14%. And the cultural differences, particularly in America, are so stark that finding any issue that cuts across the entire spectrum of the Latino population is nearly impossible.

As per the 2010 US Census, three nationalities make up more than 75% of the Latin American population in America: Mexican Americans (63%), Puerto Ricans (9.2%) and Cuban Americans (3.5%). 7.9% hail from Central America and 5.5% from South America, with Guatemalans, Salvadorians, Ecuadorians and Colombians making up the top nationalities in both categories. While language may generally be considered a binding link between these nationalities, their political interests are significantly impacted by their histories in America, and are far too disparate from which to cull a definitive voting block. Take, for instance, education. The U.S. Census reports only 13% of Latinos have college degrees, but this average ignores major disparities among nationalities. Only 6% of Mexican Americans graduate from college as per 2000 Census data; 20% of Cuban Americans do (the other large Latino group in America, Puerto Ricans, come in at 10%. A constituency with a 20% college graduation rate is necessarily going to have different political concerns that one with only a 6% graduation rate, and averaging the two out does nothing to address the specific issues of each community. The high school graduation rates are even more disparate: 69% of Cuban Americans graduate high school to 49% of Mexican Americans.

But education is not the topic most commonly considered a significant policy issue in the Latin American community. An analysis of coverage of Latinos on cable news (CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and Fox Business) in May shows that, of the 51 references to Latinos on television (eight of which were about Mexicans, one about Puerto Ricans), 62% of that coverage discussed immigration. Given that, by nature, many Latinos had to emigrate to come to America, immigration is certainly an important issue and will have an impact on the 2012 elections. Yet linking immigration so strongly to Latinos ignores the fact that, for most Latinos, amnesty for illegal immigrants is not a topic that appears on their radar. Of the three largest Latino groups, two are legally incapable of it. Puerto Ricans are natural-born American citizens, while Cubans who touch American soil– no matter how they arrive there– are given political amnesty. And given the proximity of Mexico to the United States, a significant chunk of that population is American-born, particularly in the Southwest regions that were once part of Mexico. That leaves a far smaller number of Latin Americans directly impacted by immigration reform than statistics that treat Latinos as one ethnic group indicate.

As America’s Latino population increases and their presence in the political sphere becomes more pronounced, those who cover American politics are sure to hit more and more roadblocks should the continue to treat Latinos as a monolithic group. Just as the political interests of, say, Egyptians have little in common with those of Rwandans, so too do the political interests of Chileans align little with those of Dominicans, and the media should adapt accordingly as populations assimilate and develop. The regression in sociological thought presented by coverage of confused-identity groups such as the Tequila Party only serve to expose the symptoms of a media evolving at a far slower pace than the groups they intend to cover.