The mainstream media (MSM) is over-active with news on protest in Cuba. All these news attract readers.
One such news by National Review from the US is interesting: “In another tweet, Cuban dissidents are seen flying an American flag.” (“Cuban President blames US for ‘social unrest’ after massive anti-communist protest”, July 12, 2021, https://www.nationalreview.com/news/cuban-president-blames-u-s-for-social-unrest-after-massive-anti-communist-protest/)
Has not the “protest” been exposed? “Protesters” in Hong Kong carried the same flag. Their character was exposed.
With this flag, it’s appropriate that the “protesters”, according to the report cited above, energetically shouted “Down with Communism!”.
It’s also appropriate that, according to the same report, the protesters sang “Patria y Vida” (translating to “Homeland and Life”), a “song believed to be a social commentary spoof of … Che Guevara’s “Homeland or Death” speech at the UN in 1964.
The protesters hate all that are against imperialism. They stand for all that stand for imperialism. They love that flag, a flag of another country, the country that carries on war to defend the system of exploitation.
The “protesters” have found friends – the MSM. The Mainstream Media (MSM) has stood for the “protesters” bent on demolishing the Cuba Revolution. It’s a contradiction that will continue until the exploited throw away the exploiters – a contradiction humanity goes through till establishing society free from exploitation.
So what the “fact”-hungry MSM has done with the hot “protest” in Cuba?
It has, to tell in a point blank way, photo-lied – showed a rally supporting the Revolution as an anti-government demonstration. The photo of people is there; only caption of the photo has been changed: “A” has been cited as “Z” – an alphabetical trick! Another worshiper of “truth” has gone further – show a Miami rally, a rally of the gentlemen who fled Cuba Revolution as the Revolution harmed the gentlemen’s property interests, as an anti-Revolution march in Cuba. Now, it’s not Iraq-WMD-lie; now, it’s not Tonkin-lie; Now, it’s Miami-lie.
Eliana Aponte of the Associated Press (AP) snapped the photo of a march supporting the Cuba’s revolutionary government. The day of the march was Sunday.
Members of the MSM mentioned the photo as anti-government demonstration, and it was circulated with electronic-speed. The caption read: “Anti-government protesters gather at the Maximo Gomez monument in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, July 11, 2021. Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in several cities in Cuba to protest against ongoing food shortages and high prices of foodstuffs. (AP Photo/Eliana Aponte)”. One caption read: “Anti-government protesters in Havana on Sunday © AP”. Another caption read: “Anti-government protesters gather at the Maximo Gomez monument in Havana on Sunday. Photograph: Eliana Aponte/AP”. In the photo used with the captions a flag emblazoned with “26 Julio” was seen. It should be mentioned that “26 Julio” [“July 26”] is the name of the movement Fidel organized and led, and July 26 led the revolution in Cuba. The lie has been exposed. It’s like July 26 exposes MSM-lie.
An AFP photo of an anti-Cuba demonstration in Miami, US, was described by a member of the MSM as: Thousands of Cubans protest lack of food and medicine.
Who are there these photo-“truth”-seekers? The New York Times, the Washington Times, the Guardian, the Financial Times (“Biden calls on Cuban government to listen to protesters”), Fox News (“Video emerges of mass protests against communist dictatorship in Cuba: ‘We are not afraid’”), the US government funded Voice of America (VOA), CNN. The VOA committed the error on two separate occasions. The Guardian headlined “Thousands march in Cuba in rare mass protests amid economic crisis” (Mon 12 Jul 2021, by Ed Augustin and Daniel Montero).
Ben Norton of GrayZone and Alan MacLeod of MintPress News were among the first to note the photo-lie.
The disinformation on Cuba is so blatant: Pro-war, neoliberal British newspaper The Guardian used a photo of Cubans rallying with the July 26 flag (the name of the revolutionary movement founded by Fidel Castro) and falsely claimed they’re “anti-government protesters” Fake news!
And
A ton of corporate media, including the Financial Times, Fox News, The New York Times and The Guardian have used a pic of a PRO-govt rally in Cuba to illustrate their articles on anti-government protests, falsely claiming the huge crowds to be on the side of the US.
And
This shameless fake news from The Guardian (of Blairism) is archived here:
Benjamin Norton Referred to the Guardian report cited above.
And, Ben cited further:
More fake news on Cuba: This corporate media outlet in Puerto Rico is using a photo of Cubans rallying in support of the revolution with the July 26 Movement flag, and falsely claiming they are “anti-government”
Ben cited the following:
El Nuevo Día
@ElNuevoDia
- Jul 12
El servicio de internet en los teléfonos móviles en Cuba permanece cortado desde ayer a mediodía, lo que ha dificultado conocer en tiempo real la situación en el interior del país y el desarrollo de las manifestaciones. https://elnuevodia.com/corresponsalias/cuba/notas/cuba-amanece-sin-servicio-de-internet-movil-luego-de-las-protestas-en-contra-del-gobierno/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1626096875-1
And, there’s further:
So
is using a photo of a protest in Miami and pretending it’s Cuba. Very normal. #ManufacturedConsent #SOSCuba
They shared screenshots of several examples. MacLeod assumes the members of the MSM may have “copied and pasted” the original photo caption. Then, others used that “creation”.
Till now, a few members of the MSM have issued a correction: Original agency caption on the image incorrectly described them as anti-government protesters. Actually, they are government supporters.
Ben wrote:
The @Guardian (of Blairism) has quietly corrected its fake news, admitting that the photo it published of people rallying in Cuba were actually PRO-government, not anti-government as it had falsely claimed before. https://theguardian.com/global-development/2021/jul/12/thousands-march-in-cuba-in-rare-mass-protests-amid-economic-crisis
The image above was taken by an AFP photographer, and a search through the agency’s photo gallery shows the rally was held in Miami, Florida. CNN appears to have omitted the first portion of the AFP caption, which made clear the protest was based in the US.
Thus goes the MSM “factual” story for “freedom”.
A group of “democracy”-lovers used photos of protest, etc. in Argentina, Egypt and Spain and mentioned those as photos of protesters in Cuba. Anyhow, those “real” photos of Cuba were identified and exposed.
Whatever happens with fact and false photos, the US president Joe Biden said he stood with the Cuban people. “The United States calls on the Cuban regime to hear their people and serve their needs at this vital moment rather than enriching themselves”, said Biden, who during his White House campaign promised to ease sanctions but has yet to do so. (Reuters, “Cuba blames unrest on U.S. ‘asphyxiation’ as Biden backs protests”, July 12, 2021)
For whom the support goes? Neither for the people in Brazil fighting pandemic-deaths due to negligence of the ruling regime, and poverty nor for people in other lands fighting capitalism, exploitation, inequality, rights.
The US president is not alone. Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser also expressed support for “freedom of express and assembly across Cuba.”
And, Mike Pompeo, former US secretary of state, write on social media: “The Cuban government poses a threat to the world and its own people.”
The geographically small island-country is “a threat to the world”! Is that island-country so powerful, and the world so fragile?
Does the claim of Cuba as a threat to the world gain ground after looking at imperialism invaded Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Pakistan, the country adjacent to Afghanistan, the country whose people including marriage ceremony experienced deaths by drone attacks?
In one way, the US political leader is correct. Cuba, with its ideology, politics, socio-economic system, sense of dignity is an example, and this inspires people around the world to stand with dignity, to renounce the overwhelming world capitalist system and imperialism.
Mike Pompeo, however, has admitted: “As your Secretary of State, I designated it [Cuba] a state sponsor of terrorism, and we implemented sanctions.”
“Cuba is state sponsor of terrorism”? Who is making this accusation? The state that organized the Contra in Nicaragua, that patronized Shah of Iran, Pinochet – the murderer of Allende, the regimes in South America organizing Death Squads, the Dirty War in Latin American countries? Cuba stood against all these “holy” acts.
People have the capacity to find out truth.
Now, again, this country with war power to destroy the world is claiming Cuba is threat to the world!
The support to the “protesters” exposes the character of the “protest” in Cuba. The leaders extending support to these “protesters have unknowingly done one job: Expose the face of this “protest”.
They have never, for once, mentioned the economic sanctions imposed on Cuba, which Reuters in one of its Washington, July 12, 2021 datelined dispatches said: “[…] but the White House stopped short of a shift away from a Trump-era embargo of the island.” (“U.S. stands with Cuban people in call for freedom, relief from pandemic –Biden”)
The US had tightened sanctions on Cuba under Donald Trump, Mr. Biden’s predecessor, including restricting key remittances in the middle of the pandemic.
Now, compare this – tightening, restricting, etc. – with the help extended to countries rich with resources during this pandemic-time, if the aid during pre-pandemic-time is not considered. Has it been forgotten the way one of the biggest business lobbyists appealed to withdraw restriction on export of raw materials for producing Covid-vaccines to a country claiming to be the “biggest democracy” while that country was reeling with pandemic deaths, with collapsed health care system including shortages of oxygen, etc, to treat the Covid-patients? That country was helped. Other countries are also being helped. What about Cuba? No assistance, but choke to death and propagate “freedom”? What do the World Bank and others of the sort are suggesting about the type and amount of aid that should be extended to those resource-rich, forex-stuffed countries to come out of this pandemic-devastation? Have those calculations and suggestions been forgotten? In case of Cuba, those calculations and suggestions don’t apply – is that the argument of the masters of the world? In case of Cuba, is the argument that applies is: Hire hoodlums with huge money, engage those elements in destructive acts, and raise the slogan of capitalist “freedom”, which is nothing but selling out country and dignity to the imperialist masters?
The hoodlums have done that. According to the Cuban authority, there were incidents of vandalism in the country, implemented by the hoodlums. In the afternoon of July 12, 2021, organized groups of antisocial and criminal elements in the popular council of Güinera, municipality of Arroyo Naranjo, altered the order and tried to head towards the National Revolutionary Police Station of the territory, with the aim of attacking their troops and damaging the facility. Those elements were intercepted by forces from the Ministry of the Interior and the people. But the elements vandalized homes, set fire to containers and affected power lines, attacked civilians in the place with knives, stones and blunt objects. Among the participants in the riots, Diubis Laurencio Tejeda, 36, with a record of contempt, theft and disorderly conduct , was killed. The rest of the injured were transferred to hospitals. The circumstances of this incident are being investigated. The Ministry of the Interior regrets the death of this person. (Cuba Debate, July 13, 2021)
Miguel Diaz-Canel, the Cuban president, has also said: The elements threw stones at foreign currency shops, at police forces, stole items, turned over cars – a totally vulgar, indecent and delinquent behavior.
Shall the Empire allow such elements vandalizing homes, setting fire to containers affecting power lines, assaulting civilians with knives, stones and blunt objects? What happened during after the Capitol incident in WashDC? That was a law and order situation, and a show of democracy being practiced there in that country. Have the massive mobilization of the National Guards for months, the barbed wires, the restrictions in and around the capital city been forgotten? Now, fingers are pointed to Cuba, and sermons of capitalist freedom, which is nothing but freedom of capital to exploit entire population.
The statement Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador made is noteworthy. Expressing solidarity with the people of Cuba, the Mexican president said: “I see that there is meddling. For example, yesterday I saw a social media post from a group called Article 19, which is an association of journalists in Mexico funded by the US government, the US embassy. They condemned President Diaz-Canel’s call for confrontation”, Lopez Obrador told reporters.
He said the US economic embargo on Cuba should be ended to help its people. “The truth is that if one wanted to help Cuba, the first thing that should be done is to suspend the blockade of Cuba as the majority of countries in the world are asking”, Lopez Obrador told a news conference.
Luis Arce, Bolivian president, said: Cuba’s domestic affairs must be handled internally.
Instead, there the Havana-“protesters raise Empire’s national standard, there’s instigation.
Farooque Chowdhury writes from Dhaka, Bangladesh.
