Here's an early account of this morning's demonstrations outside the U.S. Interests Section in Havana to protest the new news ticker-tape, the influence of Cuban exiles in America and the unavailability to find any new releases by Harry Belafonte in Cuban music stores.
The story tells no big surprises — the U.S. is not going to break whatever diplomatic relations exist between the two nations, and sumbitch Fidel Castro knows it — but it is worth noting the angry tenor of his comments.
We can hope that he is angry because he has read the writing on the wall, and on the Internet, and knows he has good reason to be very afraid of his destiny.
Now that thousands of more Cubans know about the ticker tape, how crowded will the streets around the Interests Section be tonight?
UPDATE 11:50 a.m. EDT
Reuters has more from Havana, including a description of this simply beautiful moment, courtesy of American diplomats in the Interests Section.
HAVANA (Reuters) - President Fidel Castro sent hundreds of thousands of Cuban marchers past the U.S. mission in Havana on Tuesday to protest a five-foot-high (1.5- meter) ticker that streams news and human rights messages across its windows.
Castro accused the Bush administration of "perfidious" provocation of a new crisis between Havana and Washington.
As he climbed the podium to send off the march, the U.S. ticker flashed "Conservatives win elections in Canada" and other headlines in bright red letters behind him and in full view of the marchers.
The headlines were followed by quotes from Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi and Lech Walesa, founder of the Solidarity movement that toppled Poland's communist government and led to the collapse of Soviet influence in Eastern Europe.
"They have turned on the display. How brave the cockroaches are. Little Bush must have sent the order," an angry Castro said.
If we are lucky, the cockroach Castro will get so angry, his head will explode!
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