Posted on 12/30/2003 7:58:17 AM PST by The Bronze Titan
note: Translated from original source
Picture appearing in the official, and only, national newspaper in Cuba
The communist party’s paper GRANMA - December 4, 2003 Edition:
By Claudia Márquez Linares – Independent Cuban Journalist in Cuba
HAVANA, in December (www.cubanet.org) - My teacher of journalism, Puerto Rican Ruth Merino, would always repeat that rumors are not news. Her affirmation forced me to ignore the daily gossip among Cubans, the aptitude to exaggerate everything, and the intelligence to perceive in official statements when something looks bad.
But during this month of December in Cuba the rumor has come to reach its maximum expression. There was no municipality in Havana that I happened to be visiting, nor anyone not speaking about this very same thing.
The December 4 edition of the official national newspaper Granma, it was rumored, had published a face that was very different from the Cuban president. In its place there was standing distinct black moustache and the hair style so flat and to the side that it projected the image, very clearly, of Hitler.
Popular Voice is powerful in Cuba. It touches the journalists and gives us the idea of how the things go. In spite of the councils of my teacher, as wise as always, the itch of the curiosity was killing me. Imagine what suffering for a journalist that everybody in the street is speaking about something and for it we could not verify. This is the great limitation of us, the independent ones who report. We do not exist for the government, we exist only for the purpose for them to sentence us to 20 years.
The journalist and poet Manuel Vázquez Portal, condemned this past April to 18 years for writing and dictating what was in his conscience, proved this in his chronicle Corner Office. When you see a group of Cubans by the crack of the sidewalk or in the street corner commenting on some event and extracting his own conclusions, then we perceive this to be a real Corner Office. Yes if a Cuban walks around commenting about something, then it is because a part of the version that he is narrating actually happened . It is the thirst for information that forces us to pursue a rumor like a man after his first fiance.
The rumor in Cuba is like an epidemic. Although neither the radio, nor the television, nor the written press can appease the dissident rumors (they are the ones who expand this) everything that would indicate problems in the nomenclature, corruption of the State, repression, etc. constitutes a motive of interest to know for the Cuban accustomed to receiving, across the board of media dissemination, that Cuba is the land of paradise and that we are the happiest people of the world.
When Laura Pollán, wife of the journalist Héctor Maseda, condemned to 20 years, visited him three days ago in the Provincial Prison of Santa Clara a surprise completely overcame her.
On having taken him the official national newspaper, the only ones that the prisoners can read in Cuba, she noticed that the official kept checking again and again the newspapers of Granma that she was taking to her husband. Her body filled with irony said to him: " Do not waste your time, because here you will not find what you are looking for". Another Military officer asked the other: " What are you looking for? " The official answered: " It is that they say that in Havana a photo of a fascist went out in the Granma ". Laura was laughing within. She felt proud that she was one of the few Cubans who managed to receive the fortunate delivery of this edition of the 4th. According to the rumors, the majority of the copies were retained and only a few there went out in circulation within the capital.
This Santa Clara province official remained eager of seeing proof of the Great Rumor that apparently had reached other provinces in the country.
The people walk scanning this copy of the Granma and printing it secretly in order that the people may see it. If it was not for the rumors, my reading friend: what would be of the Cubans?
- - - This information has been transmitted by phone, since the government of Cuba controls the access to Internet. CubaNet does not claim exclusivity of his collaborators, and authorizes the reproduction of this material, providing that he is recognized as source.
Claudia Márquez Linares – Independent Cuban Journalist in Cuba
Owl_Eagle
"Guns Before Butter."
Funny, they all played off the same music sheet.
Oh, well..., I guess only Iraq, Mad Cow, and Kobe can break the news.
It was no problem, I just 'burped' it up and proceeded. Tks.
Will keep you posted. Likewise. Tks.
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