Monday, February 15, 2010

Abajo los Gringos, Arriba los Yumas


Two weeks ago on January 28, Cuban blogger, writer, and photographer Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo (pictured above in the blue Mexican shirt) published an extensive interview with Yoani Sanchez at All Voices.  (By the way Penultimos Dias features an interesting debate on the interview in the comments section from its readers).

As usual, "La flaca no tiene pelos en la lengua."  In other words, she doesn't waste time beating around the bush.  Instead, she gets right to the point on three important themes related to U.S.-Cuban relations:

1) "Power in Cuba does not talk to citizens ... decisions are made in a single office, in a closed family and military clan. ... [but I'm looking forward] to a new stage where our leaders do not 'direct' us, but rather they 'serve' us."

2) "I support an immediate opening to allow all Americans to travel to Cuba, the end of the 'blockade' ... and in particular the complete elimination of anything that limits contact between the citizens of both countries."

3) "Obama and the country he represents can play a very important role in this opening of Cuba to democracy, but they must do so without interference with respect to our sovereignty and our decisions."

While most of these statements are not new for Yonai, I don't think I have ever heard her use the word "sovereignty" before and her rejection of the embargo/bloqueo is becoming just as categorical as her strident and always incisive criticisms of her own government. 

"Amen" on both counts!

Where's Yoani?:
Can you find La Flaca and La "i griega"?

However, my favorite quote from the interview BY FAR is this one (for reasons that will be quite obvious to readers of El Yuma):

"We never use the word 'gringos'
with all its negative connotations,
rather we use the word 'yumas'
which is much more friendly."

1 comment:

  1. The so called blockade is a joke.
    That word carries a subliminal message of siege, of US warships blockading Cuba. Fitting perfectly in the "plaza sitiada" well known and useful official tale. but far, way far from reality.
    It's a trade embargo, and a very weak one.
    I can't understand why Yoani, been a philologist doesn't get it, and uses the very same Castro's propagandistic definitions on the US-Cuba diferendo.
    Kind of weird. Right?
    --- a case of cross contamination, perhaps ? ---

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