At Least This Is Some Progress
Filed under: Latinolicious > Politik
On Friday, President Communist Dictator Raul Castro said that he would begin allowing ordinary Cubans to use cellphones.
This is the first official announcement of the lifting of a major restriction in Cuba.
Cellphone use in Cuba is a luxury usually reserved for only those who are communist or work for the government. Up until now, Cubans have only been able to get cellphones by having foreigners sign the contracts in their names. And those that even had cellphones, were in the very small minority.
Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba S.A., (ETECSA), Cuba's telecommunications monopoly announced they would allow the general public to use the cellphone by agreeing to sign prepaid contracts using Cuban Pesos.
The Cuban government currently controls over 90% of the economy in which the average monthly salary is about 408 Cuban Pesos, a little bit less than $20.
Yes, $20 a month!!!
But, of course, a program in convertible Pesos will probably ensure that most Cubans will not be able to afford the cellphone service.
Baby steps at least. Though it's doubtful Cuba will get out of it's poverty anytime soon. Instead of giving your people cellphones, why don't you try feeding them instead????
[Image via WENN.]
I always found Cubans to be some of the hardest working people in Florida. How sad the situation is Cuba.
Re: SP –
SP, are you Cuban?! If so, thank you for appreciating America and all we have to offer. Welcome.
Re: bathog –
May I ask what YOU have ever fought for? And considering I was ten when my family left I highly doubt there was much I could have fought for in the first place. I would if I could get into the country. My opinion still holds liberals are a bunch of lazy hippie assholes. Thanks for confirming it.
Re: bathog
BTW on the argenzuelican don't be bitter because you couldn't master more than one language.
Re: Karen Zebra –
YES I am Cuban! I love this country so much. It hurts me to think there are so many ungrateful Americans. Bathog is clearly one of these. A few days without running water, electricity, food, etc. Then we'll see if he'll play the smart ass. Anyway Karen Zebra you are the type of American that the forefathers fought for. Good for you!!!
Re: Kimberly Smith – You have got to be kidding. Where would Miami be without the Cuban culture. Embrace it.
Re: SP – ungrateful? huh? how am i ungrateful? i am grateful everyday that i am not stuck somewhere like cuba. it is very rude to speak nonenglish in this kind of environment, hence the argenzuelican slash. that is a pretty high horse that you are on. i just dont get what it has to do with liberals being hippie assholes. it is so obvious that retardican governments like the one we are saddled with at the moment will be the ruination of this country. cuba is by and large an insignificant blip on the world map anyway. maybe the sun there is too hot for people to make the effort to force change.
Re: SP – Re: SP – May I ask which political party in the US do you feel would assist your families particular set of circumstances….Democratic or Republican? I think you probably may think Republican….but I think it would likely be Democrat.
I would be interested in hearing your thoughts.
Amen on the last line, Perez!!! Thank God someone in the media knows what we go through!!! Thank you!
Re: bathog –
You say nonenglish as if Spanish were not an actual language. You are obviously a very ignorant person with very little education. BTW I wrote in Spanish in response to somebody's post. "This environment…" are you PerezHilton? Do you own this site? If you don't I don't see what you're big overly possessive problem is with people communicating in a language that you don't understand. Clearly you have your huge liberal ideology too far up your ass!!
Re: bathog –
You still haven't answered my question: What have YOU ever fought for??
Allow me to answer for you since you ARE lazy and all: NOTHING.
YOU ARE NOTHING!!
TU ERES NADA!!
Re: sandy nista –
I said that if you were talking about people who arrive NOW… you're right about the majority of them… but don't say ALL Cubans are lazy. My family has worked EVERY SINGLE DAY for the past 30 years. As a matter of fact they started working the second day after being released to their family.
They never received food stamps or Medicare & worked extremely hard to be where they are now.
When you say ALL Cubans are lazy… that's a crock so be a little more specific.
Re: SP – listen shitpile: je tu as allez dans la magazine! fe mon pip est ce que tu as un voisir. maime chose! avec une quest ce que cest. tres bien mon amis.
Re: SP – this is an english speaking country and an english speaking blog. nobody wants to have the space wasted with your peruvian scrawlings. rude! I notice you have chosen not to respond to deedee who posed a very interesting question, one that might have some far reaching implications in light of what happened in florida the last time when the retardicans carpetbagged the election.
are you scared to respond to deedee at #417? maybe you dont want to reveal how shallow your understanding of the issue is when compared to that of the greatest internet poster ever born
Re: D – That's why Americans born and bred don't like Cubans because they do work hard and get ahead unlike the lazy white guy who thinks the world owes them a living.
just like i thought. you are a coward. in fact i think you come from the wealthy smuggler class of cubans who bribed and schemed their way into the us with drug money and now are living high on the hog off of my taxes
Re: bathog –
BATHOG LOL, LOL. I am laughing so hard right now I could die!!!
Obviously you failed French class IF you even took it. Let me help you:
je tu (you can't have two subjects is it "you" or "me") as allez(are we in the past tense here) dans la magazine(what magazine)! fe(not a word) mon pip est ce que tu as un voisir(not a word). maime(did you mean meme I'll assume you did) chose! (can't start a sentence with avec but because it's the internet I'll let it pass)avec une quest ce que cest. tres bien mon amis.(the only correct sentence)
Where do I begin. That you are a frustrated idiot I have no doubts.
Tu es un imbecile. Fais attention dans ton ecole. Je me fous completement de ce que tu penses!!
Re: bathog –
Well seeing as how only white Cubans were wealthy I find it very difficult to understand how I as a BLACK Cuban could have been…. These Cubans left more than thirty years ago. As for drugs well at least we know who they were supplying them to *wink wink*!!
(You do know Scarface is NOT real?? Who knows you're too dumb.)
Re: Roger – hey roger get a clue life in cuba is only good if you're a communist even with free healthcare and education they eat rations from the government and don't have basic human rights… give me a break
Re: SP – nice work on the french. just having some fun with you there. but seriously, look at post 417 and please tell me what you think.
I keep posting and reposting my comment and its not working. WTF???
Re: SP – it happens. sometimes it goes to the wrong place
Well I'll sum up my response. I trust the Republicans more.
Re: SP – why republicans? do the dems seem like commies?
Re: bathog –
In short: YES!
Re: SP – So….I was correct….on my post 415 …..you are Republican.
What an explanation….in short you think Democrats are commies?
I would love to hear you expand on that SP.
Interesting
Re: Roger –
hahahahahahaha oh cuz roger is a cuban name right???? fucking ignorant comunist!!!!!! if you were not born nor lived as any other cuban in the island how dare you say something like that??
From everything you have shared. You should be a Democrat….not a Republican. I sincerely don't understand.
That is such a typical remark made by an American. The staggering economic problems in Cuba could be helped if the US lifted their trade embargo's that have been placed since the Cold War. Last time I checked the Cold War is over and communism isn't a threat. I personally would rather live in a state where there is equality, free education and free health care, rather than living in a bloated country entirely based on capitalism. But maybe I'm biased because my views on equality, free healthcare and education are askew from yours because I'm Canadian.
Kudos to the Castro's and Chavez.
Kudos to Mina and Kim.
for those of you saying 'omfg perez why dont you go to cuba and see for yourself that its not that bad' or 'wtf cubans arent starving'. well im POSITIVE perez has been there, he should know what hes talking about. and cubans ARE starving! my family in cuba IS starving and they work really hard for a loaf of fucking bread so stfu you dumb fucks.
Cuba could be just as prosperous as the U.S if ONLY the U.S would allow the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund lend out loans to Cuba (but since the U.S runs both organizations, Cuba gets ZERO financial aid). So, to look at it in this light, Cuba is doing pretty good relative to the U.S who owes BILLIONS to the IMF and World Bank borrowing from the Saudis. People, this site is for entertainment and if you are getting facts from this site or similar sites like this, then now I realize why we are so messed up here in the U.S. We don't understand politics and think PerezHilton is the source for political discourse!!
Cuba has plenty of trade with Europe and Canada where you can legally buy famous products such as the Cuban cigar and buy tickets to go visit Cuba as a tourist. In fact, the argument could be made that Cuba's trading partners are the REAL reason Cubans continue to suffer today in that those trading partners are propping up a corrupt and inhumane government. Castro has become an extremely wealthy man while his people still suffer. In the past, the Soviet Union was keeping Cuba going financially. When the USSR suffered its collapse, the end could have been very, very near for Cuba's government as well. Yet they're still in power based on trade with other countries. It remains to be seen whether Raul brings any significant change to the country.
Re: G – Re: G – This forum is anything you want it to be.
I applaud people for sharing their viewpoints independent of how ignorant they are because in the process knowledge can be shared.
There are people on this site who could probably be sharing more knowledge in stead of just letting everyone know how stupid they are.
Re: Blaming the embargo – I don't think the answer is restrict trade. Even though I agree that Canada and Europe in doing business with Cuba are supporting a corrupt dictatorship.
What I don't understand is why many Cubans would not vote Democrat in the US because it would seem that Democrats would be more open to resolving this issue that Republicans. Some Cubans currently living in the US see Democrats as one step closer to communism . So this is what your dealing with .
I was in California when Elian Gonzales was made to go back to Cuba. I was unsure when a cuban man asked me if I thought it was good he was going back. At the time I thought he should be with his father. I think now that perhaps I was ignorant re this on many levels. But this man said….he thought so too. Basically we wouldn't be having these kinds of tragedies at all if the United States government would participate in some kind of resolution on even a basic level. Given the events in the world going on I think it would be timely to say the least. Cubans are our friends.
Elian Gonzalez Serves a Life Sentence
web posted July 10, 2006
He's just a normal, average, typical 12-year-old boy. If the normal, average, typical 12-year-old boy has the world's longest-reigning dictator drop by every
Justifiably, the law presumes a youngster should live with his natural parents if possible. That's because it's usually in the best interests of the child.
This was never the situation in Elian's case. Returning him to his father effectively placed him in a prison with 11 million other prisoners. About the only difference is he's constantly surrounded by security. For his own safety, no doubt. And the worst part is that he'll probably never be able to escape. If Elian had stayed here, he would have had a choice when reaching adulthood. He could remain or, if he wanted, moved to the people's paradise run by Father Fidel. That option isn't available now.
TEN MILLIONS TIME BETTER CUBA THEN LA!
I THINK CUBANS GUYS ARE MORE INSTRUITED THAT THE HILLS ONE AND MUCH MORE SMARTER AND THEY DO KNOW WHAT A BOOK LOOKS LIKE
You know whats funny! When Amercians comment on Cuba and they have no clue what is going on over there. I bet majority of people that posted on this wall have never visited cuba and only believe what the AMERCIAN medias says. I think before you comment, do some research!
Re: Christine – You are speculating.
"wickdgrl" needs to inform herself with the corruption in the united states. Be glad to me an american? girl. SHUT THE FUCK UP. At least Fidel was an outright asshole to his citizens and not so hush hush like our gov't about the fucking issues we have as a country. So. Like i said, shut the fuck up if you dont know what you're talking about.
Re: mizzledizzlelacubana – yes it is a republican fucked up country right now. vote them out
I think that Cuban-americans may not like Democrats because of a softer approach to war. Maybe the Cubans living in America who have family still living in Cuba think the Rebublicans would be more militant in their approach to Cuba if there was some kind of an uprising there to rid communist rule.
Cuba has not got anything the Republicans want so sticking with Republicans for this reason does not make sense. Also I think they were bitter with the Democratic-Clintons decision to return Elian Gonzales to Cuba. What else were they supposed to do? Did Cubans living in America feel that if the Republicans were in power there would have been a more hard nosed approach..?
I can't believe the Bush Republicans freed the victims of Iraq under Sadaams Husseins dictatorship but feel perfectly comfortable letting our friends and neighbors in Cuba sit.
Lets make Cuba a colony of the United States.
Why don't the citizens of Cuba begin a soladarity movement similar to what they did in Poland to get rid of communist rule. Cubans should stop all work in an effort to bring the economy of this dictator down.
In 1996, when Cuba's economy was devastated, and hunger became common–it was said that cats, dogs, even the animals in the zoo disappeared–the United States Congress passed and President Clinton signed the Helm-Burton Law, which threatens retaliation against international humanitarian institutions that provide aid to Cuba.
NO WONDER REPUBLICANS!!!!!!!
Interesting that Cuban Perez is supporting Hillary
Re: cuban missile –
For years all Cuba has fought for is to be free. To win back its sovereignty. The last thing Cubans want is to become a colony of the US. Also if they don't work they won't have food and they'll be put in jail.
Re: G –
Cuba has way too many debts already. There is no way they could ever get a loan. What they need is CAPITALISM, hard cold capitalism. Look at China and India. Cuba has very fertile soil it wouldn't be that difficult.
The main reasons behind returning Elian were the Clintons. They are cowards taht sympathizers of the communists. VOTE NO FOR HILL BITCH!!!
Re: SP – Cubans make dollars on the side. If they were serious about their soverienty they would stockpile and then stop working. Yes they have been fighting for years to win back independence but not successfully.
But they still maintain they wouldn't want to be a colony of the US?
Why did Elian Gonzales mother die trying to float to freedom with her son then? Do you think she would have your political leanings? I don't think so. Nor many other Cubans living in Cuba. Actually doing the time. Save your idealism.
I wanted the child to be with his only parent. what would you have suggested SP?
you have ADMITTED to supporting the republicans, but seem to lack the intelligence to say why. in fact you have ducked the question more skillfully than george bush himself. then you state that cuba needs capitalism above all but disrespect your country by saying that the last thing cuba wants is to become part of the us. cuba WILL be part of the us one day, whether they like it or not, and then they will have their capitalism. your opinions dont seem well thought out or supported by anything. you watch fox news too much hunney.
Let me restate……Cubans doing their time in Cuba are oppressed from many years of fighting and recrimination from Fidel.
I shouldn't have implied that Cubans are not serious about gaining independence. It has been proven that without American assistance they will never achieve this. Hence the colony of USA idea. It is a compromise that they may have to pay for freedom.
Re: booty call –
Cubans don't like democrats because they're afraid they will lift the embargo… which won't help the people on the island. It'll just fill Castro's pockets with even more money.
Did you know he's amongst the richest people in the world??? Interesting fact considering his entire island is in shambles.
Re: Informed – What the hell is that crazy old coot doing with the money then?
Weapons of mass destruction?
That may be a rumour that would get the USA involved in taking down this dictatorship. God knows they could use the money…and if he has so much…that may be very motivating to "W" and Cheynie.
I guess Fidel Castro is just like one big Corporate Conglomerate. Lets call it the Fidel Castro Corporation. Is this why Cuba wants to maintain its independence even if the Communist government was overthrown? So some other dictator disguised as a participant in democracy can become a giant corporate conglomerate. The Cubans at this point have too much corruption and black market connections for it to be left in their own hands. I like the Colony of the United States of America. Basically the price of freedom and doing business with the US of A.
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