Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre in Cuba

Post by Descemer Bueno.

Remy: Jay-Z's Cuba State of Mind

Yeah I got the hot kicks
and we got the cold beans
got the new '58
Packard with the 14's

Yeah we got the bread lines
clocking til we got some
every building crumbling
Communism's awesome

Place is so amazing
people taking rafts dude
no one even tried that to
escape that poop cruise

And we got the torture
maybe ought to muster
thugs so bad you'd think
you're playing ball at Rutgers

Yeah we got the banned books
nothing rhymes with Treasury
jail for magazines
even if you're David Gregory

Got me on surveillance
on Big Brother's island
Che Guevara's racist
someone tell his stylist

In Cuba
violent leaders who you're afraid of
there's nothing you can do
Now you're in Cuba

a worldwide leader in executions
and child prostitution
let's hear it for Cuba

Hat Tip: Babalu Blog

Civil War Era Confederate Photo

CSS Stonewall (Image: The Atlantic)

Description of photo via The Atlantic website:

The CSS Stonewall was a 1,390-ton ironclad built in Bordeaux, France, for the Confederate Navy in 1864. After she crossed the Atlantic, reaching Havana, Cuba, it was already May, 1865, and the war had ended. Spanish Authorities took possession, soon handing it over to the U.S. government. (Bell and Bro. Photographers/LOC)

B16 Castel Gandolfo Angelus

Pope Benedict XVI waves as he leads his Angelus prayer at his summer residence in Castelgandolfo, south of Rome, July 11, 2010. (Daylife Reuters)

Pictures courtesy of Daylife

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B16 General Audience-Related Videos

A gust of wind blows Pope Benedict XVI's mantle as he leads the weekly general audience in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican June 16, 2010. (Daylife-Reuters)

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Archbishop Mamberti arrived in Cuba to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Cuban and the Holy See and to participate in the Catholic Social Week

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Accompanying story can be found here.

Hat Tip: Fausta's Blog

Dr. Oscar Biscet-Cuban Hero

Via Babalu Blog:

Oscar’s Cuba is a feature-length documentary video that will help spread the message and story of Dr. Oscar Biscet, a prisoner of conscience currently serving a 25-year prison sentence in Cuba for his promotion of human rights. Oscar’s Cuba will highlight the courage, faith and hope of Dr. Biscet and others working for democracy on the island. The goals of Oscar’s Cuba include raising public awareness about the plight of the Cuban people, helping individuals to stand and work in solidarity with those unjustly imprisoned and, ultimately, helping to secure the release of Dr. Biscet and all of Cuba’s prisoners of conscience.

“Here, in this dark jail where they force me to live, I will be resisting until the freedom of my people is obtained.” Dr. Oscar Biscet

View trailer website here.

Join Facebook community here.

Miami Hondurans Reject Zelaya

Hat Tip: El Heraldo

Tomorrow Nicaraguans will join in solidarity with Hondurans:

Los hondureños en Estados unidos continúan manifestándose a favor del gobierno de Roberto Micheletti, la paz y la democracia en Honduras.

Más de 250 vehículos desfilaron el miércoles desde el antiguo Orange Ball hasta el consulado de Honduras en Miami, Florida. A dicha manifestación se sumaron ciudadanos de Cuba, quienes junto a los catrachos ondeaban la bandera hondureña y vociferaban consignas.

Jóvenes acaloraron el recorrido con el ritmo de punta catracha dándole colorido y vigor a la manifestación.

El rechazo al ex presidente Manuel Zelaya por la comunidad hondureña fue evidente, además enviaron un mensaje a quienes pretenden intervenir en los asuntos políticos del país.

"Te despreciamos Zelaya. Dejen que el pueblo hondureño resuelva sus propios asuntos institucionales”, gritaban los manifestantes reunidos frente al consulado.

La comunidad hondureña impulsa una ola de rechazo al “Chavismo” y el “Danielismo” que “pretenden arrogarse una falsa defensa de la institucionalidad democrática, olvidándose de sus fraudes y reclamando sanciones contra el gobierno de Roberto Micheletti”, dijo un hondureño.

Las jornadas de apoyo continuarán todos los días y el consulado de Honduras, ubicado en el 7171 de Coral Way, es el punto de reunión después de las 6:00 p.m., agregó el catracho.

Mañana viernes se espera que nicaragüenses se unan a las protestas donde exigirán respeto a la libertad y a la Institucionalidad del Pueblo Hondureño.

Hope and Change Under Raul

Hat Tip: Babalu Blog

Just like his buddy in the USA, B. Hussein Obama, Jr., we are witnessing the "new" Cuba under the auspices of Raul Castro!!!

Devotion in Cuba

The Holy Father, Benedict XVI, has authorized the beatification of the Cuban Brother Jose Olallo:

Born from unknown parents, Jose Olallo Valdes was born on February 12, 1820 and a month later was left at the Orphanage of San Jose in Havana. He was baptized just days later on March 15.

Br. Olallo Valdes joined the Order of St. John of God at a very young age and was soon moved to Camaguey to assist the victims of the 1835 cholera epidemic as a nurse.

During his time in Camaguey, he suffered the consequences of the anti-religious laws that suppressed all religious orders in Spanish territories. Nevertheless, he remained faithful to his vows and, due to his popularity with the people, the civil authorities allowed him to remain at the hospital, thus becoming the only remaining Brother of St. John of God remaining in Cuba.

After 54 years of devoted service to the sick and the poor, which included times of both famine and war, Br. Olallo Valdes passed away on March 7 1889. His death so moved Camaguey's citizens, that a vast multitude attended his funeral and mourned his passing.

Br. Ollalo’s beatification will take place at 8 a.m. on November 29 in the Plaza de la Caridad of Camaguey, Cuba. It will be the first beatification to ever take place on Cuban soil.

The continuity of Evil

Today on the prison island of Cuba, Raul Castro, was designated as the new commander and chief of the Cuban Revolution. Fidel's 76 year old brother promised to maintain a hard line regarding any potential democratic change and even positioned a caustic communist thug as his number 2 man.

It is a sad day for the people of Cuba, for the Cuban American exile community and for the cause of liberty in the Western Hemisphere.

It is altogether appropriate at this juncture to remember the words of Chairman Mao, "It's always darkest before it's totally black."