Welcome
to the disinformation age. Not content with financing and directing "independent
journalists", and "human rights members", the United
States’ strategy of destabilization of Cuban society has
a new face: "independent libraries" [1] . There’s little coverage of these new centres of subversion - information transnationals
still do not deign to give attention to the facts, however easily accessible
and verifiable, preferring to talk about internal dissidence. And it seems that
even the mighty have fallen for it.
Our story,
at least this story of U.S. destabilization
in Cuba, begins in 1998 with the creation
by Ramón Humberto Colás Castillo, dancing
to the of the United States Interest Section (SINA) in Havana, of "independent
libraries". They were intended to seed the illusion of a growing opposition
against the Cuban government. The birth of this new kind of library meshes nicely
into the United States’ psy-ops
strategy of manipulating the reality of the island. [2] With a patina of officially allowing Cubans to have access
to real independent information, Washington distributes its clients’ propaganda.
The works
provided by the Interests Section to its librarians include President Bush's
speeches and selected writings dealing with the functioning of American society.
These meagure pickings are augmented by The Miami
Herald and The Nuevo Herald - newspapers considerably influenced
by the extreme right Cuban exile community. Indeed, Florida’s fascists have
been in permanent contact with James Cason, head of the United States Interests
Section in Cuba, and applied its guidelines
in exchange for financial payment. [3]
Cason arrived in Havana in September, 2002, immediately set about
winning friends and influencing people with bravura interventionist statements,
and public meetings with the "Cuban dissidence."
[4]
Castillo’s
tale doesn’t end in Cuba, though. He
left for the United States in December
2001. Currently he is a member of the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF),
an organization composed of extremist Cubans, who, in addition to their lobbying
the U.S. Congress, have a side-line in international terrorism. Recently, one
of Castillo’s associates, Luis Posado Carriles,
considered an old patron "of the Latin American terrorist network," [5] former agent of the CIA, and author of close to one hundred
assassinations, was condemned to eight years in prison in Panama, for terrorist
activities. [6]
Currently
Colás Castillo spends his time between the United
States and Europe where he tries to affiliate different
institutions and governments around to his U.S.-sponsored project. And not without
success. In July 2003, he was even received by the highest French authority
at the Quai d'Orsay in Paris. Following
this, French corps diplomatique hitched itself
to Washington's aggressive policy against Cuba,
while cutting off its connections to less unorthodox Cubans. [7]
Indeed, the French support for Cuban reactionaries extends beyond
the Quai d’Orsay. The mayor of Paris,
Bertrand Delanoë, openly supported the project of
he "independent libraries". In a letter dated March 9, 2004, Delanoë
assured the Free Cuba Solidarity Collective that it would be able to count on
his support. In short, one of the most important political personalities of
the French left offered his support to a group, of which for at least one member
belongs to an extremist entity, seriously implicated in international terrorism.
Does the mayor of the French capital perhaps know with whom he mixes? [8]
Were it
not for his stature, we might forgive Delanoë, for
ignorance seems widespread, and almost willful. No one in the international
press seems to be asking the easy questions: Independent libraries in Cuba?
Perhaps Cubans do not have access to books? Let's have a look at the data.
In Cuba,
close to 400 public libraries, not including those found in almost every school
and university, offer completely free services. Before the Revolution, there
were no more than thirty-two. [9] In 2003, more than 2,000 titles, for a print run of 30
million copies, were published. Every year, the most important cultural event
in the Latin American hemisphere is the Cuban International Book Fair, which
brings together the most famous writers of the world. In 2004, the Fair reached
more than 34 cities, presented more than 1000 titles and sold more than 5 million
works at prices incomparably lower than those of any other country in the world.
Put simply, no other Third World country has as many public libraries as Cuba. [10]
Illiteracy
rates in Latin America average 11.7 %: in Cuba,
they are 0.2%. [11] The International Bureau of Education of UNESCO observed
that Cuba has the lowest rate of illiteracy
and the highest rate of education in Latin America. According to the same organization,
though quite what this means is obviously open to debate, a Cuban student has
two times more knowledge than a Latin American child. It added that "Although
Cuba is one of the poorest countries in Latin America, it has the best results
in what it refers to as basic education." Juan Cassassus of the Latin American Laboratory for Evaluation
and Quality of Education of UNESCO noted that "education has been a high
standing priority in Cuba for the past
40 years. It is a true education society." [12]
Does Cuba really need "independent
libraries", or are they blowing smoke that hides darker intentions?
Nelson
Valdés, professor of sociology at the University of
New Mexico, also questioned the validity of those associations. "Why so
much interest in defending the right to read of 11 million people who are almost
100% literate, while the number of people who are illiterate in the United States
is 3 times higher than the number of Cubans who live on the island?" Indeed,
more than 30 million Americans don't know how to read or write. "After
all, illiteracy is the most important expression of censorship" observed
the professor. [13]
Diverse
professional American organizations carried out research with respect to the
"independent librarians", and they answer that those structures were
only fronts controlled by the United States.
The General Assembly of the International Federation of Library Associations
and Institutions (IFLA), held in Boston August 24, 2001, urged the "US
Government to share information materials widely in Cuba,
especially with Cuba's libraries, and
not just with "individuals and independent non-governmental organizations
that represent US political interests." [14] Indeed, the American authorities, besides financing
those libraries, block access for Cubans to numerous magazines and publications,
notably scientific and university sources. For example, in a field as vital
as medicine, in which 50% of the publications are U.S.
based, Cuban professionals are barred from accessing U.S.
sourced medical texts.
A useful
chunk of evidence is to be found in a study entitiled
Payment for Services Rendered: U.S.-Funded Dissent and the Independent Libraries
Project, presented during the Pacific Coast Council on Latin American Studies,
November 8-9, 2002 at East Los Angeles College by Rhonda Neugebauer,
bibliographer from the University of California, Riverside. Neugebauer
reports on a visit she made in 2000 to Cuba
in the company of Larry Oberg, librarian from Willamette University, to more
than a dozen "independent libraries." Neugebauer’s report is well worth quoting at length:
By
interviewing the owners of these "libraries," we discovered that
these "libraries" were carefully chosen drop-off and contact points
for personnel from the U.S.Interests
Section and others, who visited them on a regular basis, to deliver materials
and money. …
In some cases, the "libraries"
had ceased to exist because the "librarian" had moved to the U.S.,
or had given away the "library," anticipating a departure to the
U.S.
In one case, we confirmed
that a "librarian" listed on the "Independent Library Project"
webpage, had moved to the U.S. six years earlier, although his name still
appeared as a director of a library in Santiago, Cuba, and he is cited as
having been "repressed" and "intimidated" in Cuba for
his library work.
We found that most of the
"libraries" consisted of a few shelves of books in private residences
and that their titles were typical of what is owned by many Cubans and by
Cuban libraries. In fact, the majority of their books were published in
Cuba, by the Cuban government.
We
were told that personnel from the U.S.
Interests Section delivered many of the items that were not published in Cuba,
and that they received regular visits from U.S.
Interests
Section personnel who dropped off packages on a monthly basis along with money.
Since it was the first time
any mention of money had been made in reference to their work, I asked,
"What is the money for?" "For services rendered," the
"librarian" responded. "These libraries help the opposition
in Cuba
and our leadership in Miami. They tell us what to do. They receive our reports
and news. They give us money so we can do what we do here, be dissidents
and build opposition to the Cuban government." (…)
During our visits with the
"librarians," we asked about the supposed repression, intimidation
and confiscation of the materials, accounts of which had been mentioned
frequently and disseminated widely in the U.S. on library listservers
by a group called the "Friends of Cuban Libraries" Their press
releases recounted horrendous stories where the "librarians" had
been repressed, their book collections had been confiscated and the "librarians"
had been routinely intimidated and harassed by Cuban security forces, if
not jailed. We found no such evidence and no librarian corroborated these
charges from the Friends of Cuban Libraries' press releases. Several "librarians"
told us they had been arrested or jailed briefly, but immediately clarified
that that was because of "opposition" activities or for breaking
the law, mostly by attempting to leave the country without an exit visa.
(…)
When we asked the "librarians"
if they circulated books to their neighbors, they told us that they circulate
books to many people who want to read about new ideas, ideas that support
capitalism and liberty. However, when we asked their neighbors if they knew
about the libraries, they said no. (…)
The existence of the "independent
libraries," their holdings of radical rightwing anti-Castro material,
their association with operatives from the U.S. Interests Section and the
Miami community who are intent on overthrowing the Cuban government disproves
their main argument (…) --that of censorship and severe restrictions on
intellectual freedom. (…)
They do continue to operate;
they continue to contribute reports to Radio Marti, Cubanet
and other media; they continue to speak to foreign press and to foreign
visiting librarians and diplomats. Hence, they continue to be well paid
for services rendered. [15]
The
American Library Association (ALA) also denounced the "independent library
fraud. Ann Sparanese, librarian at the Englewood
Public Library and ALA member made the following statement, "They aren't
librarians at all. They are paid by the United States
government (…) who tries to buy dissidents in Cuba." [16] Even the Candians have weighed
in, with the Canadian Library Association (CLA), voting for a resolution in
June 2003, during a conference in Toronto, stipulating that " CLA opposes
any foreign government attempts to undermine Cuba's government through economic
blockades, subversion, military adventures, assassination attempts, and outside
funding of political opposition through 'civil society' organizations."
By the "'civil society' organizations CLA referred to the human rights
members," "independent journalists" and, of course "independent
librarians." [17]
And so it goes. The U.S. continues to mess with Cuba, and we continue to be kept in the dark.
Whatever happens, don’t expect to see news about the independent libraries on an ‘independent’ TV news channel anywhere near you
anywhere soon.
[2] Rosa Miriam Elizalde & Luis Baez, "Los Disidentes"
(La Habana : Editora Política, 2003), p. 56.
[4] Felipe Pérez Roque, Nous
ne comptons pas renoncer
à notre souveraineté,
Conférence de presse offerte par le ministre des relations
extérieures de la République
de Cuba le 9 avril 2003. (Havana : Editora
Política, 2003) pp. 16-18. Granma,
«Le terrorisme et la société
civile comme instruments
de la politique des USA
envers Cuba (IV). En suivant
l'argent », July 30, 2003. www.granmai.cubasi.cu/frances/2003/julio/mier30/30agee-f.html
(website consulted on April 30, 2004).
[5] Noam
Chomsky & Edward S. Herman, Economie politique des droits de l'homme. La « Washington
Connection » et le Fascisme dans
le Tiers Monde (París : J.E. Hallier
& Albin Michel, 1981), p. 50.
[6] Ann Louise Bardach & Larry Rohter, « Key
Cuba Foe Claims Exiles' Backing », New York Times, July 12, 1998, 1,
3, 4, 5. www.nytimes.com/librairy/world/americas/071298cuba-plot.html
(website consulted on February 3, 2004) ; El Nuevo Herald, « Condenan en Panamá a Luis Posada
Carriles », April 21, 2004: 23A ; El Nuevo Herald,
« Piden Pena máxima contra anticastristas », March 18, 2004: 17A; El Nuevo Herald,
« Recaudan fondos para exiliados presos en Panamá », April 23, 2004:
17A. See Glenn Garvin, « Panama : Exile Says Aim Was Castro Hit », The
Miami Herald, January 13, 2001 ; Glenn Garvin & Frances Robles, «
Panama Suspect Has Ties to Dade », The Miami Herald, November 21, 2001
; John Rice, « Panama : Fidel Steals Show With Death Plot », The Associated
Press, November 18, 2000 ; Fernando Martínez
& David Aponte, «Anticastristas llegaron a Panamá para asesinarlo,
denuncia Castro », La Jornada,
November 18, 2000.
[7] Paulo A. Paranagua, « 'Si tu vas à Cuba,
emporte un livre', demandent les opposants », Le Monde, July 25, 2003.
[9] Rhonda L. Neugebauer, « Payment For Services Rendered: U.S.-Funded Dissent
and the Independent Libraries Project », University of California Riverside,
November 8-9, 2002. www.cubalinda.com/English/Groups/RhondaNeugebauer.htm
(website consulted on April 30, 2004).
[10] Ministère
des Relations extérieures de la République
de Cuba, Cuba et
sa défense de la totalité des droits de l'homme pour tous, (Havana: Editora Política,
March 2004), p. 48. http://perso.club-internet/vdedaj/cuba/minrex_droits_homme.pdf
(website consulted on April 29, 2004).
[11] United Nations
Development Program, << Human Development Indicators 2003: Cuba >>,
2003. www.undp.org/hdr2003/indicator/cty_f_CUB.html
(website consulted on April 22, 2004): Comisión Económica Para
América Latina (CEPAL), Indicadores del desarrollo socioeconómico
de América Latina. (United Nations, 2002), pp. 12, 13, 39, 41,
43-47, 49-56, 66-67, 716-733.
[12] United Nations
Economics Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), op.cit.,
pp.190-195; Latin American Laboratory for Evaluation and Quality of Education,
<<Learning in Latin American>>, UNESCO, September 3, 1999. www.unesco.org/education/educnews/99-09-03/latinlab.htm
(website consulted on March 10, 2003).
[13] Nelson Valdes, <<Response to Nat Hentoff>>,
International Responsibilities Task Force of the American Library Association's
Social Responsibility Round, December 2003. www.pitt.edu/~ttwiss/irtf/cuba.letter2.html
(website consulted on April 30, 2004).
[14] International Federation of Library Associations
and Institutions (IFLA), <<Resolution Adopted at IFLA Council II Held
at Boston on Friday 24th August 2001>>, August 24, 2001. www.ifla.irg/IV/ifla67/resol-01.htm
(website consulted on April 30, 2004).
[15] Rhonda L. Neugebauer, op. cit.
[16] Tim Wheeler, <<AlA Rejects U.S.-Backed
Libraries in Cuba>>, People's Weekly World, May 24, 2003. www.pww.org/article/articleview/3480/1/164
(website consulted on April 30, 2004).
[17] Canadian Library Association, <<CLA's Resolution>>,
American Library Association, June 2003. www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=News&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=53695 (website consulted on April 30, 2004). 
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