Yep, Cuba is just awesome!

CDNBear

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Sep 24, 2006
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The Cuban authorities have refused an exit visa for a leading Cuban dissident to travel to France to receive the EU's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

Guillermo Farinas launched a prolonged hunger strike earlier this year, protesting against the plight of Cuba's political prisoners.
He called the Cuban authorities arrogant for not granting him permission to travel.

He said it revealed their disregard for individual liberty.

Mr Farinas was near to death earlier this year, on a drip feed in hospital, when President Raul Castro authorised the release of 52 of the island's most prominent prisoners of conscience.

It was an unprecedented breakthrough brokered by the Roman Catholic Church.

The 48-year-old political activist had hoped to attend Wednesday's award ceremony at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The Sakharov prize for Freedom of Thought is the EU's top annual human rights award and the winner receives about $70,000 (£44,400).

Earlier this week the president of the European Parliament made a last-minute plea to the Cuban authorities on Guillermo Farinas' behalf but to no avail.
BBC News - Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas refused exit visa


Yep, all is well and good in Cuba the Great and Free!!!
 

YukonJack

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Dec 26, 2008
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And of course the cheap-skates who spend vacation time and money there, to save a few lousy bucks, think that Cuba is just fine and dandy.

Maybe they should some of those bucks to buy a conscience.
 

wulfie68

Council Member
Mar 29, 2009
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But its all the fault of the Americans!!! If they had just treated Castro with respect after he seized power or ceased their embargoes then Cuba wouldn't have had to regress into a totalitarian dictatorship fighting to maintain and spread the inevitable world wide communist revolution...or something like that...
 

CDNBear

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But its all the fault of the Americans!!! If they had just treated Castro with respect after he seized power or ceased their embargoes then Cuba wouldn't have had to regress into a totalitarian dictatorship fighting to maintain and spread the inevitable world wide communist revolution...or something like that...


I LOVE sarcasm!!!
 

CDNBear

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Sep 24, 2006
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whatever. talk about lack of respect for other people's wishes.
You mean like denying an exit visa to someone?

I'm not sure about your moral codes, but I sure am glad I live in a country where someone like YJ can disagree with giving money to the economy of a totalitarian state like Cuba, without fear of being imprisoned, denied the freedom of movement and so on. Or take yourself for instance. You freely contribute to the economy of a totalitarian state, which deprives its citizens of freedom of movement, freedom of political dissidence and so on. And you are not imprisoned, or otherwise molested, other then the sharp words of freedom from fellow Canadians.

I love freedom.

Weren't you heralding the virtues and freedoms of Cuba a few short months ago?

Seems Cuba isn't the shining state of freedom you wanted us all to believe it was.
 

Chiliagon

Prime Minister
May 16, 2010
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Cuba may not be a totally free State. but they don't have Soviet Military assigned to everyone and give you no freedom whatsoever.

I was able to go wherever I wanted (within limits, but that's just like here)
 

CDNBear

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Cuba may not be a totally free State. but they don't have Soviet Military assigned to everyone and give you no freedom whatsoever.
Only because the Soviets couldn't afford to keep the garrison open.

I was able to go wherever I wanted (within limits, but that's just like here)
uh huh...

Feel free to keep making all the excuses you want. But you still fund state sponsored totalitarianism.

I hope the tan was worth it.
 

Chiliagon

Prime Minister
May 16, 2010
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I don't care. really, I don't. because the Americans aren't innocent either here.

if there Americans were completely out of this and never created any of their problems, then I'd be upset.

And yes it was.. I'd go back again, just to spite you.
 

CDNBear

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Sep 24, 2006
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I don't care. really...
That's apparent. I'm sure buddy in the OP appreciates your kind support of the powers that are keeping him in bondage. Your pleasure and convenience is so much more important then peoples personal freedoms.

Please be prepared to be fed this thread, the next time I see you bitching about the infringements of rights upon anyone, by the US.

I don't. because the Americans aren't innocent either here.
Oh yes, the old reliable fall back, blame the yanks. That BS was satisfactorily dispatched in your last diatribe about the great free state of Cuba v. the great satan America.

if there Americans were completely out of this and never created any of their problems, then I'd be upset.
What does America have to do with it? Cuba is free to trade with any nation other then the US. Are you saying that the US is so great, no nation can be truly awesome, unless they can freely trade with the US?

Stop sucking up the propaganda. It makes the opinions in your posts look silly.

And yes it was.. I'd go back again, just to spite you.
How mature of you.
 

Chiliagon

Prime Minister
May 16, 2010
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eh. maturity went out the window on this, a long time ago.

remember. America took advantage of Cuba before the revolution. when Castro came in he booted the USA's puppet out..
 

CUBert

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Aug 15, 2010
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OH wow, such a dictatorship Cuba is!!!! Not letting criminals travel abroad, OMG terrorists!! The U.S.A would never be that cruel!..........
 

CDNBear

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eh. maturity went out the window on this, a long time ago.

remember. America took advantage of Cuba before the revolution. when Castro came in he booted the USA's puppet out..
Can you try and stay in the 21 century for a while?

Two wrongs don't make a right. Nor is the US responsible for Castro's actions.

OH wow, such a dictatorship Cuba is!!!! Not letting criminals travel abroad, OMG terrorists!! The U.S.A would never be that cruel!..........
Only a moron would equate a political dissident to terrorist.

Last time I checked, political dissidence, was enshrined in the Constitution.

I can see how that would be lost on you.
 

CUBert

Time Out
Aug 15, 2010
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Aha, I was being blatantly sarcastic. I figure insane people like you and Yukon would consider Cuba a terrorist country. Before you cry about Cuba not letting a criminal travel abroad maybe you should look at your own country and her allies misdeeds.
 

Chiliagon

Prime Minister
May 16, 2010
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I'm not saying the US is responsible for Castro's Actions.

Castro did this on his own.. because at the time back in 1959, he decided that Cuba needed to be given back to Cubans..

I don't exactly know every single detail on Cuba before 1959 but I do know that the guy who was in charge was pals with the Americans and he allowed American businesses and mobsters to have Cuba. taking away all the land from the Cubans.

Sure, Castro could have not been a communist or Socialist country.. but I think it was to prevent people from retaliating and wanting to take it back.

kinda like the Russian Revolution back in 1917 (or was it 18?) or Germany's little stunt in 1933 where they declared themselves as a dictatorship and Hitler had all his opponents executed.

i'm not saying it is right at all, not even close. but he protected himself.
 

TenPenny

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Jun 9, 2004
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whatever. talk about lack of respect for other people's wishes.

if I wanna go to Cuba Yukon, then Screw you!

You can say that because you're not an American. Just make sure you have a Canadian credit card with you (ie, nothing issued by Citibank or MBNA, even their Canadian operations, and no American Express card).
 

CUBert

Time Out
Aug 15, 2010
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Cuban government response

"Cuba will not accept pressure or blackmail, important Western media groups are again calling attention to a prefabricated lie. It is not medicine that should resolve a problem that was created intentionally to discredit our political system -- but rather the patient himself, unpatriotic people, foreign diplomats and the media that manipulates him. The consequences will be their responsibility, and theirs alone."
Granma, March 8, 2010 [6]
The Cuban state newspaper Granma stated that Fariñas's legal troubles began "because of a physical altercation with a female co-worker - not politics" and described him as "a paid agent of the United States" and employee of the U.S. Interests Section.[6]
 

TenPenny

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Jun 9, 2004
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The guy has a criminal record. How easy is it for a Canadian with a criminal record to travel?

I believe that as long as you aren't on parole or other similar restrictions, Canada can't prevent you from leaving the country. But other countries don't have to let you in.
 

CUBert

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Aug 15, 2010
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I wonder what kind of medical treatment a political dissident would get in the united states, if necessary?