Posted on 01/25/2006 6:14:30 PM PST by mdittmar
CZECH supermodel Helena Houdova took a break from the catwalk to visit communist Cuba and was arrested for taking photographs in a slum, she said today.
The former Miss Czech Republic 1999 runs a foundation in New York that supports disadvantaged children in nine countries, and she wanted to see what she could do to help in Cuba.
But on Monday, Cuban security police detained Houdova and her travel companion, Czech psychologist Mariana Kroftova, while they were taking photographs in the poor Havana neighbourhood of Arroyo Naranjo.
The two women were held overnight in police custody and not allowed to call the Czech Embassy.
They were released 11 hours later after signing a letter vowing not to engage in "counter-revolutionary" activities, the model said.
Police confiscated photographic film, but Houdova said she managed to hide the memory card from her digital camera in her bra.
"They screamed at us. We were afraid," Houdova said. "We grew up under communism and know what it is like."
"Something needs to change here," Kroftova said.
The two women were told not to leave Havana until their departure from Cuba on Sunday.
From the mouths of babes,no pun intended;)
Foolish bimbo, there is no poverty in Cuba. It was an illusion.
Teach the citizens about a free market economy and free society, then give them guns.
Pictures!
Ahem. Aren't you forgetting something?
Would Cindy Sheehan approve of this meddling?
There's one right there!
Nice tush...
I had a friend who went to Cuba who just was amazed on how clean everything was. guess you have to hunt out the poverty stricken areas. He only had pics of very pristine historical sites.
Cuba has no slums. What she saw were remaining capitalists who foolishly live in squalor rather then join in with the marvelous Cuban meritocracy. /sarcasm
Karl Rove planted the slums there.
The last [guy] who got caught doing this was arrested, tried, and shot as a spy... last november IIRC.
She seems to have quite a bit on Cindy Sheehan.
They steer tourists to the nice areas.
A co-worker (native born cuban- 50s refugee) was too polite when another co-worker marveled at how Castro kept Cuba so well run. He sat there and listened to the guy preach then after the guy walked away remarked, "Well what can you say about someone so foolish?"
Rookie cops...Thats the 1st place I would have looked...heh heh heh.
The Prado, which is the road that goes between the major hotels and the Malecon, is a horrible mess.
Most people who go to Cuba barely leave a tour bus except for staged events - but you can wander around, and if you do the ruins of formerly stunning buildings are heartbreaking.
Here are some pictures I took in December 2002 that I daresay are still relevent today.
D
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