Mariela Castro Sees Normal US-Cuba Relations “Someday”
HAVANA TIMES — Mariela Castro, daughter of Raul and Fidel Castro’s niece, believes that the “dream” that Cuba and the United States normalize relations be fulfilled “someday”.
“That dream is going to be a reality someday,” said Mariela Castro during a visit to Philadelphia, where on Saturday she will participate in a forum on equal rights for homosexuals and receive an award for his work on behalf of transsexuals in Cuba.
The forum, held in Philadelphia from Thursday to Sunday, focuses this edition on Cuba and the “history, progress and challenges of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual)” on the island, notes the program.
Mariela Castro, a member of the Cuban Communist Party, is the director of the National Sexual Education Center of Cuba (Cenesex), from which has led a strong campaign for the gay and transgender community of the island.
The State Department initially refused to allow Castro’s visit to Philadelphia, but eventually accepted it.
That led three US representatives to send a letter of protest on Friday to Secretary of State, John Kerry, over the granting of Castro’s visa.
Republicans Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart and Democrat Albio Sires demanded “answers” to Kerry for giving Mariela Castro permission to enter the United States.
In the letter to Kerry, the representatives said they were “deeply upset” and believe that the visa violates the law barring officials or employees of the government of Cuba entry into the United States.
The two countries severed diplomatic ties in 1961, two years after the triumph of Fidel Castro’s revolution.
It is not the first time that a visit to the United States Mariela Castro causes political stir.
Last year the subject became an element of attack on the presidential election campaign waged by Democrat Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney, who criticized the granting of a visa to Mariela Castro to participate in a conference in San Francisco and considered such a “slap” to dissidents on the island.
Romney accused the White House of having “softened” U.S. policy toward Cuba.
Thea have to say something. You say a lot ,too. Don´t you? We all do. Mariela is just not having herself abused for some anti Cuban propaganda. She knows where here home is : its in Habana and not in Miami.
You misunderstand. I am suggesting that the Castros have had their time. Unlike Mandela who led his country from its horrible apartheid past and then, as a wise statesman, allowed younger and better-trained leaders to take over the mantle, the Castros have hung on too long. Even renouncing his errors with regards to the LGBT community does not negate its impact in how society thinks as long as Fidel remains in moral leadership. By the way, Fidel is old enough to be my grandfather.
Thanks for according me a viable argument. That other leaders died, is their problem, and if you think the Castros should shut up because they are too old, well I don`t wanto to be unpolite, but seems to me, they way you argue, that you might be about the same age. Maybe you should follow your own wise advices.
The traditional Latin macho cultural hostility to homosexuality took on a particularly ideological tone under Castro. It was in the 1990’s that Cuba removed the laws that made being homosexual a crime. However, gays are still harassed and persecuted in Cuba.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Cuba
Exactly, Friedrich, the moral relativism argument is viable in this case. What must also be taken into consideration is that elsewhere those leaders of the “50’s and 60’s” who, along with Fidel, shared these now seemingly prehistoric ideas regarding sexual preferences have long since left the public arena, died, or retired into silence and certainly no longer control the governance of the masses they once led. Despicably, the very same Castros, guilty of these social disasters and their sycophants continue to control the public discourse in Cuba at the peril of the Cuban people.
Former congressman Barney Frank, who spoke at the Equality Forum dinner Saturday night, praised Mariela Castro for her work but had harsh words for her father and uncle, saying they were “among the great betrayers of liberalism and human rights,” according to the Inquirer.
“I’m glad that they’re lessening the repression of gay and lesbian people, but no, I certainly don’t think that people should say, ‘OK, well, that’s all you have to do,’” Frank said.
http://www.advocate.com/politics/2013/05/05/mariela-castro-points-progress-lgbt-rights-cuba
by the way, if you were careful on that theme, you would know that Fidel hiself excused himself in a message to the homosexual community. And lets stay a little bit objective: in the 50 and sixties in most countries homosexual relations were not tolerated by law and opression did not only exist in Cuba.
So please don`t use everything for anty cuban propaganda. Mariela is very well aware of different thing. Much more it seems to me than you are.
Are you from the inquisition board?
yeah, another one of your propaganda stories. The Cuban blogger scene is flourishing more so than ever. and very critical to many things, with one difference : they don`t sell their country, like lots of those ” dissidents”. And as far as your you tube program. Just keep it for you. Cause Amnesty revised strongly their reports. But of course, being another one of the militant anti-cubans, you would not mention that.
Friedrich Joestl!! Do Human Rights go along with Gay Rights dear? That’s another question I would like to ask Mariela Castro!
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL VIDEO: Routine repression in Cuba – Harassment and detention of political dissidents, human rights activists, journalists and bloggers across Cuba has risen sharply over the past 24 months. – Mar 22, 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyWLTbHMHmc&feature=youtu.be
When will Mariela Castro do an investigation about the UMAP camps? Will she include other GLBT organizations besides her in this endeavor? I would like to ask that VERY important question!
People listen to her? (Again, with the personal stuff?)
Yeah Moses, you got a little problem with Mariela. Jealous? People listen to her, who`s listening to you?
Obviously, for the Miami mafia types, Castro’s visit to the US is a negative but, objectively speaking, this chick likes the good life and visits to the US only reinforces how much life in Cuba sucks even for Castro royalty. She is a few tall cups of caramel machiattas and a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes shy of renouncing her birthright and that ridiculous 54 year exercise in self-flagellation known as Cuban socialism. When she gets back to Cuba, looks outside her window at the Havana cityscape, she will be on the phone to papa in no time screaming, “Let Alan Gross go home!”