Mariela Castro's Anti-Americanism

The U.S. State Department was wrong to grant Cuba First Daughter Mariela Castro a visa to visit the United States. She is more than the spawn of a dictator but rather a valiant defender of the indefensible, one of the world's most repressive regimes that among other abuses, denies Cubans the right to travel that she requested from the United States.

In her own words, here are some more reasons why, courtesy of the Cuba Transition Project at the University of Miami:

Mariela Castro’s Anti-Americanism   “[Cuba] won independence from Spain, but this was curtailed by the intervention of the United States.” "[Cuba gano] la independencia ante España, pero se frustró debido a la intervención norteamericana.” (1) “The United States remains hegemonic. It is the world’s police, it controls us all. Case in point, Europe has followed in its footsteps by establishing its Common Position against Cuba. That is cynicism! This demonstrates that Europe is subordinate to the politics of the United States.” “Los Estados Unidos siguen siendo hegemónicos. Son los policías del mundo, nos controlan a todos. Constato que Europa le ha seguido los pasos al establecer una posición común contra Cuba. ¡Eso es cinismo! Eso demuestra que está subordinada a la política de los Estados Unidos.” (2)  “[A] very sad event that is causing great sorrow to my family…is the situation of our five heroes illegally and arbitrarily jailed in the United States for protecting the Cuban people from the terrorist acts organized in the United States with US government financing….Because they’re really so crude that they are not even willing to trade our prisoners for the North American prisoner here [Alan Gross] who was legally tried and sentenced with every respect for the rights of a prisoner.” “[Un] acontecimiento muy triste que se está viviendo con mucho sufrimiento por mi familia…es la situación de nuestros cinco héroes, prisioneros ilegalmente, arbitrariamente, en los Estados Unidos por proteger al pueblo cubano de los atentados terroristas que se organizan desde los Estados Unidos con financiamiento el gobierno norteamericano…. Porque realmente son tan burdos que ni siquiera quieren cambiar a nuestros prisioneros por el prisionero norteamericano que está aquí [Alan Gross], que ya fue condenado en un juicio legal y con todos los recursos de respeto a los derechos del prisionero”. (3)  “I hope that the economic, financial and trade blockade against Cuba will be lifted, so that the economy can grow and wages can rise. But I also hope that we will not compromise our independence and become weak, and that we will never betray our ideals of equality and social justice.”  “Espero que el bloqueo económico, financiero y comercial contra Cuba serán levantadas, de modo que la economía puede crecer y los salaries pueden aumentar. Pero también espero que no vamos a comprometer nuestra independencia y se vuelven débiles, y que nunca vamos a traicionar nuestros ideales de igualdad y justicia social”. (4)  “I still have the energy, hope and strength to continue fighting for this socialism. I know that the Revolution has developed many defense mechanisms in the face of the constant hostility from the US imperialism and all its vast resources. And that’s not just some trite phrase; it’s an expansive, intensive, very cruel imperial system, and it’s necessary to continue fighting, to not back down in the face of violence, in the face of the pressures that we will continue to confront.”  “Todavía tengo la energía, esperanza y fuerza para seguir luchando por este socialismo. Yo sé que la Revolución ha desarrollado muchos mecanismos de defensa frente a la constante hostilidad del imperialismo de EE.UU. y todos sus vastos recursos. Y eso no es sólo una frase trillada; es un sistema imperial expansivo, intensivo y muy cruel, y es necesario seguir luchando, que no se retire frente de la violencia, frente a las presiones que vamos a seguir confrontando”. (5) Notes  (1) Interview with French newspaper L’Humanite, “Mariela Castro: Cuba siempre sorprende.” December 9, 2011.http://www.ahora.cu/es/secciones/especiales/657-mariela-castro-cuba-siempre-sorprende (2) Op Cit (3) Interview with Russian media Actualidad RT. http://www.walterlippmann.com/docs3162.html.  (4) Ertel, Manfred. “Interview with Mariela Castro: We Need Changes in Cuba.” Spiegel Online. 7/21/2010.http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,707267,00.html.  (5) Acosta, Dalia. “Mariela Castro’s Hopes for Cuba.” Havana Times. 6/24/2009. http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=10543