Cuban Gov. Reports on Alan Gross
HAVANA TIMES — “The health of US citizen Alan Gross remains normal and he regularly engages in intense physical exercises,” reported Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement issued on Wednesday.
According to Josefina Vidal, the director of North American Affairs, Gross received three visits from his wife at the end of last week, for which “all of the necessary facilities were provided and the best conditions created.”
The note reiterates Cuba’s willingness to “dialogue with the US Government to find a solution to the case of Mr. Gross” and that it is “still awaiting a response.”
The US government contract-agent is serving a 15-year prison sentence in March 2011 for smuggling advanced communications equipment onto the island. He was working for Development Alternatives Inc., a corporation under contract of US AID in its program to bring “democracy” (regime change) to Cuba.
It’s difficult reading :
“According to Josefina Vidal, the director of North American Affairs, Gross received three visits from his wife at the end of last week, for which “all of the necessary facilities were provided and the best conditions created.”
After reading in Granma:
“The US Interests Section in Habana has once again denied Olga Salaneuva (wife of Cuban 5 prisoner Ren Gonzalez) a visa to travel to the US to meet with her husband.”
Fairness has never been a characteristic of the American Empire, along with humanity, decency, altruism and a host of other characteristics human beings value. They’ve lost it, big time. Power does that to people and countries, and then, inevitably they fall.
You certainly sell Cubans short thinking they will take your sucker bet – just “unilaterally release Mr. Gross” and the US will respond with “an in-kind response”. Sure it will. A bird in the hand is a much surer bet.
“It doesn’t affect us in any way”? That’s not what I read. There’s a not-so-hidden factor (spoiler alert ahead). Gross is Jewish and there is a very powerful Jewish lobby in your country that is not very happy. From what we see, the US is governed by very powerful lobby groups, not by its citizens. It’s a so-called democracy, you see, not a real one.
The rest of what you wrote is not fit for comment I’m afraid.
small, poor countries should do what they are told by uncle sam. rich, small countries too. in fact, all countries. that’s what hegemony is all about. be nice to americans or they will bring democracy to your country. arab bumper sticker. you can’t beat shopping, it’s true. and happy meals with copyrighted toys are great for childhood obesity.
The Castro Brothers want Alan Gross traded for the “Cuban 5” which were actually more than 5!!
Cuba Transition Project- Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies
University of Miami
Cuban Espionage Targets the U.S. Government – Vanessa Lopez is a Research Associate at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, University of Miami.
http://ctp.iccas.miami.edu/FOCUS_Web/Issue145.htm
Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State has stated in no uncertain terms that the US will not negociate for the release of Mr. Gross. It is pointless for Cuba to continue to beat that drum. A small, poor country like Cuba would be better served to unilaterally release Mr. Gross for humanitarian reasons and unleash the inevitable international media storm that would batter the US for an in-kind response. Fidel’s selfish ego-driven strategy of eye-for-an-eye and toe-to-toe diplomacy with the most powerful country in the world earns him oodles of “attaboys” from other third world wannabees but results in unnecessary suffering by the Cuban people. Meanwhile, Americans have not missed one McDonald’s Happy Meal or lacked one WalMart Superstore as a result of frozen relations with Cuba. It doesn’t affect us in any way. Worse, things appear unlikely to change unless someone blinks, or dies, whichever comes first.