King of Kuba Kisses Kongressmen's Kulo

I niavely wrote on Wednesday that a 10 member fact finding congressional delegation lead by Congressman Delahunt (D) MA, and Jeff Flake (R) AZ was going to Cuba on Dec15, to kiss Raul Castro’s butt and accept the “olive branch” that the new Cuban dictator offered the US during his coronation speech on Dec. 2. :King of Kuba to get Kulo Kissed

Man, what was I thinking ?!? It turns out it’s the other way around. It’s the new King of Kuba that’s going to be Kissing Kongressional Kulo.
In Thursday's front page of Granma, the official organ of Cuba’s communist party, there’s a scathing propaganda piece that uses the GOA report that the above referenced Congressmen commissioned as ammunition to call the internal Cuban dissent movement and its independent journalists the “mercenary” agents of “Yankee Imperialism”. In the spirit of communist olive branch offering, the article, which warned the US that Cuba would do whatever it takes to defend itself from foreign tampering in the regime's internal affairs, was published to coincide with the congressional delegation's visit.

From Granma:

According to the U.S. media itself, more than half of these funds never made it to Cuba; instead, they remained in Miami. Likewise, part of the money was used to buy articles such as video games, canned crabmeat, bicycles, luxury coats and chocolates and DVD players, reflecting, in all of its magnitude, the official U.S. business of the counterrevolution in Cuba, and the enormous dividends that it brings to the anti-Cuba industry based in Miami.

The report also reveals that of the total funds wasted, part was squandered on items that the United States Interests Section in Havana is trying to distribute in Cuba, to which end that office handed out, between 1996 and 2006, some 385,000 books, bulletins and other “informative” material, according to the information in the GAO document. That was in addition to the correspondence “journalism courses” for more than 200 mercenaries, the publication of approximately 23,000 reports
by so-called “independent journalists” on the situation in Cuba, and the financing of the visit to our country by more than 200 “international experts” to train the domestic counterrevolution.

This confirms the grounds for the reiterated revelations by our government of the U.S. Interests Section, which acts as the headquarters of the counterrevolution, and it also shows in an irrefutable manner how that Interests Section flagrantly violates the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of April 18, 1961, by bringing into Cuba — abusing its diplomatic privileges — articles and materials that are not for the official use of that diplomatic mission, but for supplying the mercenaries who work at the service of the U.S. government.

The congressmen, who’s stated agenda is to remove the array of economic sanctions imposed on Cuba by the United States, commomly referred to as the embargo, who believe that “ Normalizing relations with Cuba ''presents multiple opportunities for us. There are an abundance of economic opportunities for Americans in Cuba, including for businesspeople and farmers”, are scheduled to meet with Cuban high – government officials and have requested a meeting with Cuba’s acting dictator, Raul Castro. At the meeting Raul should give thanks and praise to the delegation for helping his regime discredit and humiliate the brave group of Cubans who risk life, limb and liberty everyday to bring about democratic reform to their enslaved country by commissioning the self-serving GOA report. Delahunt sees the GOA report more as a tool or ammunition to achieve his goal of changing US policy towards Cuba. "This really cries for a more thorough review of policy as opposed to just simply focusing on the findings and looking at it as an auditing problem." He admitted earlier this year when referring to the GOA report.

While in Cuba, the bipartisan delegation will be looking for evidence that Cuba will ''give political status to dissidents and democratic activists,'' Delahunt said. These are of course the same people that he just helped give mercenary status to, but what the hey.

To add insult to injury, the delegation also wants to meet with some of same prominent dissidents they just hung out to dry at the US Interest Section in Cuba. Maybe they intend to rub some salt on their wounds?

Tuesday night on Café Cubano’s Blog Radio Show, Enrique, Blogmaster of Abajo Fidel, informed the audience that Marta Beatriz Roque said theres is chance that she and other dissidents could meet with the American delegation to inform them of the growing repression. Cuban dissidents have called for easement of remittance and travel laws between the US and Cuba as have Delahunt and Flake.

I hope that in their visit to Cuba the congressmen realize that when they play politics in Washington, it can have a real devasting effect on the lives of people thousands of miles away from the seat of power and that their words and actions can cause a person to lose their liberty or even life. Dissidents and Independent journalists in Cuba play for keeps. So does the Regime.

From the Sun-Sentinel , the Delegation:

Democrats: Jane Harman and Hilda Solis, Calif.; William Delahunt and James
McGovern, Mass.; Gregory Meeks, N.Y.; and Lincoln Davis, Tenn.

Republicans: Jeff Flake, Ariz.; Jerry Moran, Kan.; Jo Ann Emerson, Mo.;
and Mike Conaway, Texas.